• Stouffville is developing an Agritourism Strategy to support farm viability and rural economic growth.
  • The strategy could lead to zoning updates streamlining approvals for new uses of agricultural lands on the Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt.
  • Agritourism and diversified on-farm uses can include farm retail, educational experiences, event spaces, wineries, cideries, and limited accommodations such as bed and breakfasts.
  • Staff believe expanded agritourism activity will benefit farm owners while helping to reduce reliance on residential property taxes.
  • Save the Oak Ridges Moraine Co-Chair Robert Brown raised concerns about how secondary uses are evaluated and regulated on conservation lands.
  • While not codified, Provincial guidance and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture recommend a maximum site area of two percent for new diversified uses.
  • A recent Council approval for an animal rehabilitation facility on Bloomington Road aligned with that guidance.

 

As local farms face mounting economic and development pressures, municipalities hope an expansion of agritourism and diversification opportunities on rural lands will create new income streams and improve the long-term sustainability of farm operations.

The Town began work on its Agritourism Strategy in March, intending to bolster local economic development while preserving agricultural lands and uses. With enough uptake, Staff believe the added activity could assist in reducing Stouffville’s heavy reliance on residential property taxes to fund operations.

The project will likely result in draft Comprehensive Zoning By-Law updates meant to streamline the establishment of new on-farm uses. Those proposed changes will need to consider Oak Ridges Moraine (ORM) and Greenbelt conservation plan limitations, layers of provincial and municipal planning and agritourism policies, and public feedback.

On-farm diversified uses “support agriculture viability, visitor experiences, and economic development by enabling farm-based businesses such as on-farm retail, experiences, special events, wineries and cideries, and value-added food production,” a recent Town Staff report explains.

That positioning closely resembles portions of York Region’s Agriculture and Agri-Food Sector Strategy, which has focused on driving greater agritourism through multiple iterations. Consultation undertaken by the Region found widespread stakeholder agreement that agritourism represents a leading growth opportunity.

According to the current Agriculture and Agri-Food Sector Strategy, launched in 2024, permitting agritourism “ensures that agricultural lands are utilized effectively, promoting innovation and resilience within the sector while maintaining the agricultural character of rural communities.”

That could include “limited accommodations, such as a bed and breakfast, that promote enjoyment, education, or activities related to the farm operation,” the document notes.

Stouffville’s updated Official Plan “recognizes on-farm diversified uses as secondary to agriculture and supports diversification that contributes to farm viability,” the Staff report explains. “When supported through clear policy and guidance, agritourism can attract private investment, create employment, and contribute to non‑residential economic activity.”

Provincial planning policy states that new on-farm uses cannot hinder existing or neighbouring agricultural operations. While indicating the amount of a parcel’s land area granted to them should remain limited, no explicit framework establishes clear thresholds in either the current Provincial Planning Statement or Stouffville’s zoning rules.

During its May 6 meeting, Stouffville Council approved a private animal rehabilitation facility as a diversified on-farm use at 6432 Bloomington Road. Through the new permissions, roughly two percent of the site’s total area can be used for the conversion. Only 20 percent of that area can be allocated to related buildings.

An earlier public meeting held in April presented the facility and included a deputation from Save the Oak Ridges Moraine (STORM) Co-Chair Robert Brown, who raised concerns about secondary uses overwhelming primary agricultural uses.

Brown recognized the minimal percentage of land being granted to the rehabilitation facility, instead speaking more generally to the vague nature of secondary use policies. Calling for greater transparency from Staff when drafting recommendation reports, he asked for clarification regarding how proposals are determined to be truly secondary.

The Province’s Guidelines on Permitted Uses in Ontario’s Prime Agricultural Areas includes the two percent threshold as a recommendation and highlights veterinary services as a legitimate diversified use. Similar limits are also found within zoning by-laws adopted by other Ontario municipalities.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), a farmer-led advocacy group representing more than 38,000 members, has also endorsed two percent, up to a maximum of one hectare, as an acceptable limit.

On-farm diversified uses should “balance opportunities for additional income generation while preserving farmland and compatibility with farm operations,” OFA states, adding that “on-farm diversification opportunities are critical to farm economic viability and succession planning while supporting rural economic development.”

So, while not formally codified, Stouffville approving two percent of the Bloomington site for the rehabilitation centre is well founded.

A key concern, however, is that insufficiently regulated secondary uses could gradually expand beyond their intended scope, eroding the agricultural land base and the farming done on it.

Brown argues that without clearer limits and evaluation standards, new uses initially approved as complementary could eventually outweigh or displace the agricultural operations they are meant to support. He questioned whether the distinction between primary and secondary uses is being assessed solely by land area, or whether other factors such as operations, commercial activity, and income generation are being considered.

“I’d like to see an evidentiary burden backing up the decision that the planning department has made,” Brown said. Recognizing Staff are not legally obligated to provide one, he argued the disclosure should still be made “in the sake of transparency and openness” regarding how planning decisions are being made on the Moraine.

Much of Stouffville’s farmland is impacted by Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt land-use policies, and Staff note that the conservation plans’ varying permissions “can be challenging for farmers and prospective investors to navigate.” Project deliverables include a public-facing toolkit that will consolidate and streamline relevant information, making it easier to move enterprises forward where permitted.

That toolkit “will help translate…existing and complex policy direction into practical, investment-ready guidance, supporting responsible agritourism business growth, increasing ICI-supported economic activity, and helping to reduce the long-term residential tax burden associated with supporting growth in the Town,” Staff wrote.

In a conversation with Bullet Point News, Brown confirmed that he and STORM recognize the growing economic pressures faced by farmers and support efforts to identify new opportunities that improve long-term sustainability of local agricultural operations.

But, he interjected, those opportunities cannot come at the expense of the Moraine and its farmland.

STORM is currently analyzing more than a decade of planning decisions and their impacts on Oak Ridges Moraine lands, work Brown hopes will help identify broader zoning and land-use trends as well as areas where municipal decisions may conflict with conservation plan policies and objectives.

Citing a need for greater oversight that tracks the cumulative ecological and agricultural impacts of development across the ORM, Brown said the organization is also reviewing topographical surveys and satellite imagery to monitor how land conditions are changing alongside evolving land uses.

He argued that defining the limits of secondary on-farm uses requires “empirical and legally substantive” standards grounded in measurable evidence. “We need to establish these baselines,” he told us.

Responding to a follow-up inquiry, a spokesperson from the Town said they recognize “the importance of maintaining clear boundaries to ensure that agritourism and on-farm diversified uses remain subordinate to and supportive of primary agricultural uses.”

“Through the Strategy process, Staff are reviewing stakeholder feedback, policy considerations, and approaches used by other municipalities to help determine whether additional direction or implementation tools may be appropriate locally,” they added.

The Town also assured that complementary farm activities will “remain consistent with the intent” of both the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan and Greenbelt Plan.

An open house introducing the Agritourism Strategy was held on May 12, offering the public an opportunity to weigh in on its direction. A survey remains open for farmers, agritourism operators, and those interested in starting or investing in related ventures, and additional consultation opportunities are planned.

Staff are expected to present a draft strategy to Council before the summer recess, and a final version is anticipated this fall. Further information and project updates are available through the Town’s website.