Holland Marsh Farmland under Water, Town Declares State of Emergency

Jun 17, 2013

Holland Marsh Farmland under Water, Town Declares State of Emergency

The weather system that moved in over Father’s Day weekend hit Ontario’s vegetable growing region, flooding 190 acres of farmland in the Holland Marsh, in Bradford, Ontario north of Toronto.

The flooding occurred after a dyke in the area broke for the second time in two-weeks. Water levels are about 5 to 10 feet deep, leaving the once pristine farmers’ fields looking more like lakes. The newly planted crops, onions and carrots are now unsalvageable. Farmers in the area are calling it an indescribable loss.

While the bulk of the flooding surrounds just three farms, damages are estimated to be over $1-million. The town of Gwillimbury has declared a state of emergency and appealed to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food for help.

The Holland Marsh comprises of 8,500 hectares of farmland and is ideal for growing vegetable crops such as onions, greens, celery and carrots.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.