Facts and Figures about Fruits and Vegetable Farming in Canada

• Fruit grown in Ontario includes apples, grapes, peaches, apricots, blueberries, melons, cherries, nectarines, pears, plums, raspberries, and strawberries
• Ontario's most common grown vegetables include potatoes (over 15,000ha), sweet corn (nearly 9,000ha), peas (over 6,000ha) and field tomatoes (over 6,000ha)
• Vegetable crops grown in Ontario include potatoes, sweet corn, peas, field tomatoes, asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsnips, peppers, pumpkins, squash, radishes, rhubarb, rutabagas, spinach and zucchini
• Ontario farmers also grow mushrooms, garlic, parsley and ginsing
• Mushrooms, greenhouse-grown cucumbers and greenhouse-grown tomatoes rank highest in farm value
• British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec are the largest fruit producing provinces in Canada
• Blueberries are the most common fruit grown in Canada, followed by apples
• The most commonly grown vegetable in Canada is potatoes
• It is estimated nearly 80% of the world's new cherry plantings are varieties from British Columbia.

Fruit and vegetable farming requires a large amount of specialized equipment, and is labour intensive.  Production practices are different from one crop to the next.

Many fruits and vegetables destined for the fresh market have to be hand-picked to prevent damage.  Machine harvest is possible for the processing market, which is just over half of Canada's vegetable crop.

Irrigation is needed to improve yields in many fruit and vegetable crops.  Today, irrigation systems maximize water usage, so that water is not being wasted.  To make sure water is used responsibly, some Canadian provinces require government permits to take water for irrigation purposes. 

Because of Canada's variable climate and technological advances, Canadians are now able to purchase fresh, domestic vegetables year round.  Canadian vegetables grown include traditional vegetables like potatoes, peas and broccoli, but also include more exotic foods such as our native fiddleheads and a variety of vegetables from around the world to accommodate our growing ethnic population.

Potatoes, sweet corn and green peas are the most popular vegetables grown in Canada.  Canada's potato crop is world-renowned, and more than half of it is used for further processing, such as French fries.

The main vegetable crops grown in Ontario include potatoes, sweet corn, green peas, carrots, beans and tomatoes.  The main greenhouse crops are tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.  Having greenhouses makes it possible for us to enjoy fresh Ontario produce all year round.  Ontario is the biggest greenhouse vegetable producer in all of North America, with 1,800 acres of greenhouses.

The growing ethnic community in Canada has led to changes in which crops are grown here.  To fill the demand for Asian produce, Canadian farmers are now growing bok choy, Chinese cabbage, mustard cabbage, water or Chinese spinach, and Chinese broccoli.

Canadian winters give the soil a rest period every year, and also kill many common insects and diseases which target crops.  This helps farmers obtain superior quality produce with lower pesticide usage.  To further reduce pesticide use, farmers are using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) which times pesticide application to coincide with peak pressures of pests.

Field vegetables are harvested from June until September or October.  These vegetables are available at stores, farmers' markets and on-farm stores.

Fruits are normally associated with southern Ontario and southwest British Columbia, but there are many small pockets of fruit production across the country.  Other provinces with notable production include Quebec and the Maritimes.

The most common fruits grown in Ontario are apples, grapes and peaches.  Other fruits grown include pears, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apricots, melons, cherries, plums, and nectarines.

British Columbia grows the most grapes, blueberries and cranberries.  Apples have historically been the most common fruit grown in Canada.  Recently, blueberries have become the most popular due to their high levels of antioxidants and popularity with health-conscious consumers.  Canada is now the world's largest producer of wild blueberries, according to Agriculture and Agri Food Canada.

Most fruit crops being grown in Canada are perennial.  The farmers plant them, and in as little as one or as many as four or five years, the farmers are able to begin harvesting fruit from them.  Because of the time it takes, many fruit farmers are planting some replacement plants or trees each year for continuous crops.  Once established, the plants and trees can produce for years.

Strawberries and raspberries are now available from Ontario growers at non-traditional times during the year.  There is a strawberry variety which produces through the summer, and a raspberry variety which produces in the fall.  With the short growing season in Canada, scientists are continually trying to breed new varieties of fruit which will thrive in our climate.

Canadian fruit farmers are beginning to implement Integrated Fruit Production (IFP) standards on their operations.  These standards ensure minimum amounts of pesticides are used and environmentally-sound husbandry is practiced.

As with vegetables, fruits are available fresh from local stores, farmers' markets and on-farm stores.

• The Yukon Gold potato was developed at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada
• The first Macintosh apple tree was discovered in Ontario, Canada in 1811
• One-third pound stalk of broccoli has more vitamin C than 204 apples
• The first fruit eaten on the moon was a peach
• Carrots were first grown as a medicine
• Carrots can be orange, white, yellow or purple
• Blueberries have more anti-oxidants than any other fruit or vegetable
• Hippocrates noted the medicinal properties of lettuce in 430BC
• Canada is the world's largest producer of wild blueberries
• Canadians have developed biodegradable packaging for fruits and vegetables which lasts for 14 days in the environment

More trivia available at www.farmsfoodfun.com

Acre an acre is slightly smaller than a soccer field.

Crop protection products used by farmers to protect plants against insects, weeds, and fungi (plant diseases) that can attack and destroy a crop

Crop Rotation the practice of planting different crops on a field year after year to minimize pest population build up, improve soil health, avoid pesticide resistance issues, and diversify (e.g. a common rotation in Ontario is soybeans, wheat, and corn repeated every 3 years or with hay included for livestock farms)

Cucurbits a plant family that includes crops like melons, gourds, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins

Cultivar A variation of a type of fruit that has been produced through breeding or deliberate selection.

Environmental Farm Plan program that allows farmers to assess environmental risks on-farm and help identify and fund ways to fix them.

Fertilizer Any natural or synthetic material added to soil to supply plants with nutrients they need to grow.

Greenhouse a building covered in glass, plastic or fibreglass where most growing conditions can be controlled by the grower, often with the help of computers, such as temperature, ventilation, humidity, light, water and carbon dioxide.

Hectare (ha) A hectare is 100 metres x 100 metres. It is equal to 2.5 acres. A hectare is about the size of two soccer fields.

Horticulture: agriculture which focuses on the production of vegetables, fruit, flowers and turf

Hybrid: plants produced by crossing two or more inbred lines of plants that are genetically quite different

Hydroponic: a production method where plants are grown using water and nutrients instead of soil.

Integrated pest management (IPM): is a sustainable, environmentally friendly approach to managing and reducing pest-related damage to crops that uses cultural, physical, biological and chemical methods

Irrigation: supplying dry land with water to help grow crops.

Legumes: plants like beans, lentils, peanuts, peas and soybeans. Plants generally grow pods that split open to reveal seeds inside and are capable of ‘trapping’ their own nitrogen from the air.

Marginal Land: land that is too hilly, wet, or contains soils that are fragile and of lower quality for crop production

Nutrient: Any chemical element or compound essential to the growth and development of an organism

Pollination: the transfer of plant pollen from a plant’s male reproductive organs to its female reproductive organs to form seeds. This is how the fruit starts to grow. Pollination usually happens by insects, like bees, or by the wind.

Produce: a word to describe fresh fruits and vegetables

Pruning: the practice of removing diseased, old, or otherwise unwanted portions from a tree. It helps control the growth and size of a fruit tree and ensure it produces healthy fruit.

Soil type: the texture of the soil – based on the percentage of sand, silt, and clay – sandy soils drain water quickly; clay soils hold water and often require tile drainage

Tender fruit: A term for various fruit that includes peaches, pears, plums, cherries, apricots and nectarines.

Thinning: removing some of the small fruit that has started growing on a tree; usually in late spring or early summer. This allows the remaining fruit to grow larger and be healthier.

Tillage: cultivating the soil to prepare for planting or to reduce weeds

Yield: describes how much of a specific crop can be harvested from a certain area of land.

Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association:
Visit www.ofvga.org

BC Fruit Growers' Association:
Visit www.bcfga.com

BC Greenhouse Growers' Association:
Visit http://www.bcgreenhouse.ca/

Prairie Fruit Growers' Association:
Visit www.pfga.com

Nova Scotia Fruit Growers' Association:
Visit www.nsapples.com

Canadian Horticultural Council:
Visit www.hortcouncil.ca

Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers:
Visit www.ontariogreenhouse.com

Visit Ontario vegetable, fruit and greenhouse vegetable farms on line at www.virtualfarmtours.ca.

More links for the fruit industry are available at www.ats-sea.agr.gc.ca/pro/4703-eng.htm.

More links for the vegetable industry are available www.ats-sea.agr.gc.ca/pro/4708-eng.htm.

For further stats on Canadian production and value visit http://www.ats-sea.agr.gc.ca/info/info-eng.htm
For further stats on Ontario fruit and vegetable production and value see http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/stats/hort/index.html