Of Canada’s twelve provinces, eight are home to special regions that are conducive to growing fresh produce: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island. In some areas, the proximity to a large body of water affords a better opportunity to grow produce. In others, it is the shelving terrain of a deep valley, or an escarpment ideal for tree fruit. Canadian growers work their magic in these fertile pockets, bringing forth an impressive array of fruits and vegetables. So much so, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, vegetable exports to the United States have continued to rise over the last few years, especially in potatoes. Of note were the 800 tons of spuds exported in 2012, the most since records have been kept, beginning in 1988.
A Look at Growing Regions: West to East
Alberta
Established in 1905, Alberta is the namesake of Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, a descendant of Queen Victoria. Like Prince Edward Island and Manitoba, Alberta is a potato-growing province. Production for the last few years has fluctuated; 2012 yields were better than 2011 but 2013 crops were threatened by hail and late blight.
Potatoes aside, most of Alberta’s fruit and other vegetables come from small growers. Since 1991, farms have consistently averaged 25 acres for annual vegetables. Similarly, berry patch size vacillates little, averaging five acres per farm for the last 22 years.
Despite the diminutive size relative to potato terrain, these growers offer much diversity, with the Saskatoon berry as a gleaming example. It is a native tree-like plant unique to the Canadian prairielands. Commercial cultivation and processing is relatively new, and in 2012, Alberta harvested 268 tons of the little-known fruit. By tonnage, the Saskatoon crop is Alberta’s largest fruit commodity, followed by strawberries at 148 tons in 2012.
Vegetable-wise, Alberta’s top crops are typically sweet corn, cabbage, carrots, peas, and pumpkins. On a smaller scale, beets, parsnips, and summer squash are routinely cultivated according to Statistics Canada.
British Columbia
The geography of Canada’s westernmost province, British Columbia (BC), is like a buffet—there’s a little bit of everything. There are mountains, coastland, plains, and fjords.
Prime growing regions are in the southwest corner, around the regions of Fraser and Kelowna. Terraces framing the finger-like Lake Okanagan, known as the Okanagan Valley, are especially favorable for fruit production.
Even though BC does not have a lot of tillable land, nearly all root and bulb vegetables are farmed here, as well as leafy greens, asparagus, parsley, and peas. Pumpkins are a heavy hitter in the region, as are Brussels sprouts, lettuce, sweet corn, cabbage, beans, tomatoes, and carrots.
