December 5, 2025 Ministry of…

December 5, 2025
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Re: ERO # 025 1116, Request for a Minister’s Zoning Order for Market and Affordable Housing Development in the Town of Midland
The Simcoe County Federation of Agriculture (SCFA) appreciates the opportunity to provide comments regarding the above noted Environmental Registry Posting. The SCFA represents 1,577 farm families across Simcoe County and works to promote, support, and advocate for a sustainable and economically viable agricultural sector. As a grassroots organization, we engage with municipal and provincial partners to ensure that planning decisions recognize the essential role agriculture plays in our communities and our economy.
SCFA encourages the Minister to include the completion of an Agricultural Impact Assessment (AIA) as a requirement of this requested MZO. Although the area in question is located within the Midland settlement area, the property is currently in active agricultural production and is adjacent to neighbouring farm operations that will be directly affected by the proposed development.
Large scale projects have the potential to disrupt the agricultural system and may, in some cases, limit the continued viability or expansion of nearby farm operations. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) has been developing a modernized AIA guideline, and this tool should be consistently applied to MZOs to protect Ontario’s agricultural systems from the potential impacts of major projects. AIAs are already required for non agricultural development within prime agricultural areas and under several provincial plans, including the Greenbelt Plan. In addition to an AIA, the SCFA strongly recommends that a meaningful and functional buffer be included as part of any approved development. This buffer should be designed to shield neighbouring agricultural properties from potential land use conflicts, including noise, dust, odour, trespass, and other edge-of-settlement impacts. A well planned buffer will help maintain normal farm practices and reduce the risk of future complaints or operational constraints on adjacent farms.
Ontario protects its agricultural systems with good reason. The agri-food sector is a cornerstone of the provincial economy, supporting jobs, contributing significantly to GDP, and underpinning food security and rural community stability. Ensuring that farmland and farm operations are considered through an AIA process supports long term sustainability and balanced growth.
The SCFA appreciates the opportunity to provide our feedback and perspectives on this proposal. We look forward to continued collaboration with the Ministry to ensure that planning decisions support both responsible land use development and the long term health of Ontario’s agricultural system.