Farmers in our area enjoy a zone of moderated climate. They can grow crops that would be impossible to grow further north like the many soft fruits that we get to enjoy. The best known of these is the wine grape, which is grown in the shelter of the Niagara Escarpment on the Niagara Peninsula and in the southernmost part of Hamilton.

Rural soils are composed of the local soil material, often clay-based in our area, together with organic matter from years of adding fertilisers and tilling crop stubble left after harvesting. Where livestock are raised, manure is often used to make the soil more fertile. Because of the use of fertilisers and manure, water that passes through these soils carries a high 'nutrient load' with it into local creeks. This water may also carry pesticides and other products used on crops. 'Organic' growers, while still using fertilisers and thus contributing nutrients to local creeks, avoid the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilisers, which reduces the chemical impact of their activities on local creeks and wildlife and is also healthier for us.