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Home | Settling the Land | Farm Business and Daily Life | Strength in the Community
A Collection of Agricultural Images | Sources and Resources
| Diversity is one of the hallmarks of agriculture in Ontario. Ontario farmers have always embraced agricultural innovations, such as increasingly sophisticated farm machinery and farm management tools. Farmers have also adapted to market changes over the years by introducing new crops and livestock, such as ginseng, Echinacea, bison and ostrich, to meet consumer demands in emerging areas of economic growth. Change is inevitable in the business of agriculture; however
in many ways life on the farm has remained the same since the
Loyalists first arrived. Long days, fluctuations in climate, dependency
on ever-changing markets, and the importance of family are constants
that shape daily life and work. |
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![Painting: The Pioneer, [ca. 1921]](pics/ac623327_seeding_270.jpg) |
Early farmers used “scatter seed farming” where the seeds were randomly thrown, or broadcast, onto the fields. Unfortunately, only half of these seeds would grow, and weeding and harvesting the crops proved difficult. When seeds were planted in rows, seed loss was reduced, hoeing could be done to reduce weeds, and there were better harvests. Click to see a
larger image (227K) |
John Thomson was a British Royal Navy purser who became a farmer in Orillia during the early 19th century. His diaries capture his naval services as well as his life in Upper Canada. A typical week for this busy farmer, July 26 to August 1, 1837, involved cutting hay and sowing vegetables. Tucked within these daily tasks, John records the birth of a cow and the birth of his son. Click
to see a larger image (180K) |  |
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John Macfie, a civil servant with the Department of Lands and Forests, spent his career in numerous northern regions of Ontario where he refined his skills as an amateur photographer. The early rose potatoes in William Moore’s bucket are probably descended from those grown at Mattagami post decades earlier by the Hudson’s Bay Company. Click to
see a larger image (131K) |
Women have always played a vital role in rural life. Early women settlers worked as partners with their husbands to carve out a life for their families in their adopted country, contributing to both their households and to the agricultural enterprise. Today, the percentage of farms operated solely by women continues to grow. Click
to see a larger image (72K) |
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Few things smell better than fresh market fruits and vegetables, and the people of Hamilton have been enjoying the aroma from the Farmers Market since 1837. The Market has always been more than a shopping place; it is a gathering place where neighbours meet, share news, and take in the energy of the crowd. Click
to see a larger image (277K) |
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| Education and research are vital to ensuring that today’s farms will continue to produce for tomorrow’s families. Ontario farmers have relied upon research conducted at the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph since it opened in 1874. This is a plan for an early experimental farm where controlled agricultural tests could be conducted. | |
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![Landscape Plan: Vegetable and experimental garden of the Agricultural College and Model Farm in Guelph, [ca. 1874]](pics/ag_garden_ao6817_520.jpg)
![Photo: Threshing machine with steam engine, [ca. 1914], (detail)](pics/7460_traction_engine_520.jpg)
Settling the Land | Farm Business and Daily Life | Strength in the Community
A Collection of Agricultural Images | Sources and Resources