The profile notes trends toward a smaller agricultural land base coupled with regional concentration of production of certain crops. With increasing numbers of livestock in other parts of the Basin, research to balance manure nutrients with crop requirements while at the same time minimizing environmental impact from the associated bacteria and organic constituents of manure, is being studied. Cash crop and livestock production figures show intensification and increased specialization to meet consumer demands while maintaining economic competitiveness in the ten years from 1981 to 1991. This was occurring as urban and rural populations grew in the Great Lakes Basin, removing available land for farming while the need for food production increased. Research being conducted by the Ontario Land Resource Unit shows the advantages of studying agricultural activities at a more holistic level where positive and negative impact of all related factors are considered on the basis of, watersheds, ecosystems or aquifer recharge areas etc.
Current studies show areas where resources are at risk if present agricultural trends continue.
The study is also identifying issues and areas where research projects can help farmers reduce agriculture's impact on the environment and at the same time retain competitiveness. Information from this compiled data can also serve as a point of comparison for surveys of the region in the future. The Greenhouse and Processing Crops Research Centre logo was designed to represent the major mandates of the Centre. The concept for the logo was a combined effort between two of our employees, Andrea Labaj and Rick Mallett. The black hoops are those of the new shape and innovative greenhouse structural materials first tested and then used at Harrow.