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Southwestern Ontario: An Island in the Heart of The Corn Belt
Location is the prime consideration in agriculture, especially in seed corn production. It's also a key strength for Ontario's seed corn industry.
Seed corn in Ontario is grown exclusively in the extreme southwestern tip of the province. This is themost southern point of
the Canadian mainland. At 42 and 43 degrees north latitude, Ontario's seed corn production zone is parallel to
northern Illinois and central Iowa, and is further south than seed corn production in states such as Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota. From a more global perspective, southwestern Ontario is at approximately the same latitude as Rome.
Ontario's latitude, however, is only half the story. The Great Lakes, the largest freshwater system in the
world, are an equally important factor. Because of the moderating influence of the lakes, southwestern Ontario
has an island climate, buffered against the extremes that affect the central portions of the North American
continent. The region is protected from excessive heat as well as from both early and late frosts, and provides
essential rainfall, averaging approximately 35 inches per year. The climate is also more consistent from year to
year. (See Yields for more details).
Of Ontario's 8.8 million acres of farmland, over 800,000 acres of fertile soils lie in Essex and
Kent counties, the centre of the province's seed corn production.
Microclimates that are linked to the farming area's precise proximity to the lakes, coupled with varying soil zones, offer a range of production opportunities to further reduce risks.
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