The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) has created many resources to assist municipalities, regions, and community organizations in supporting the agricultural sector.
Policy areas such as land use planning, property assessment and taxation, financial incentives, community food planning and consultation provide many opportunities for communities to support agricultural growth.
Local Economic Snapshots of the Agricultural Sector
From farmers to our diverse food processing industry, the agri-food sector is a vital contributor to the provincial economy, supporting over 871,000 jobs and more than $50 billion in GDP annually. OFA has developed statistical snapshots for Ontario’s Census Divisions and Census Agricultural Areas, as of 2024.
Agriculture Matters: A Guide for Municipal Councillors and Staff
This Guide provides an overview of issues affecting farmers today and identifies opportunities for local communities to support this untapped, and sometimes undervalued, economic sector. OFA’s 51 county and regional federations offer strong, grassroots leadership, and should be your first point of contact when addressing municipal issues affecting agricultural businesses in your community.
Agri-Food Initiatives Ontario (AFIO) Directory
To improve sharing of best practices and resources across the province, OFA has developed a directory of hundreds of initiatives at the local, regional and provincial level that support agriculture and food. This Google Drive of initiatives is open to the public as a dynamic community resource.
Guide and Checklist to Support Agriculture in Your Municipality
OFA has developed two complementary resources with background information and an easy-to-use checklist for municipal staff, politicians and community leaders aspiring to foster a more agriculture-friendly community.
- Guide to Support Agricultural Growth in Your Municipality
- Checklist to Support Agricultural Growth in Your Municipality
These resources are also available in French.
- Guide pour soutenir la croissance agricole dans votre municipalité
- Liste de vérification pour soutenir la croissance agricole dans votre municipalité
Resources to Support Agriculture Economic Development and Planning
OFA has compiled a wide range of tools and resources to help you get started with agriculture economic development and land use planning.
Municipal Job Descriptions to Support Agriculture
OFA compiled several sample job descriptions that may assist your municipality in developing or revising a position to support your agricultural and food sector. The following job descriptions were gathered from actual municipal job postings across Ontario.
Agriculture Economic Development Initiatives
New to agriculture or looking for new ideas? Check out OFA’s resource for a list of potential activities to examine, promote and support your agricultural community.
This resource is also available in French.
Working with Farmers: A guide to growing solid relationships with farm clients
OFA developed this guide as a resource for farm and agri-business service providers who want to develop strong and meaningful relationships with farmers.
Agriculture Economic Development and Planning Community of Practice
OFA and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) have coordinated a Community of Practice to virtually bring together economic development and planning professionals across Ontario interested in agriculture and agri-business issues.
Always in Season
Supporting agriculture, local food and local beverage processors has never been more important. Through Canadian Agricultural Partnership funding, OFA, its partners, and Wilton Consulting Group developed a toolkit for communities to guide them through potential activities, key performance metrics, funding opportunities, and ways to collaborate to support the agri-food sector.
Agriculture Considerations When Designing Municipal Roadways
OFA developed this resource for municipalities to design safe and accessible roadways with key agricultural considerations in mind:
This resource is also available in French: