Ontario Investing $3 Million to Protect the Lake Simcoe Watershed

August 5, 2025

The Ontario government is investing $3 million to launch the new Farm Wash water Innovation and Stewardship Efforts (Farm WISE) Fund for farmers growing vegetables in the Holland Marsh area. As part of the province’s plan to protect Ontario, this initiative supports healthy communities and a strong local agri-food economy by helping farmers adopt new and innovative technologies to protect the Lake Simcoe watershed, which is vital to the local agricultural community, residents and tourism industry.

“The Holland Marsh is Canada’s most productive vegetable growing region and we’re giving farmers the tools they need to keep the region’s watershed a cleaner, safer place to grow food, work and raise families,” said Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “This new fund is just one of the ways our government is empowering communities to protect the air, land and water in Ontario for generations to come.”

Known as Ontario’s “soup and salad bowl”, the Holland Marsh area produces more carrots, celery, onions, lettuce and greens than any other single region in Canada. The Farm WISE Fund was developed to help farmers adopt technologies to improve water use on farms and treat water that has been used to wash produce, which will help reduce the amount of phosphorus entering the watershed.

The ministry is currently accepting applications until October 5, 2025. Eligible farmers in the Holland Marsh area can receive up to $375,000 per project to fund these improvements. This investment is part of the ministry’s commitment to reduce phosphorus and restore the ecological health of the Lake Simcoe watershed and the Great Lakes through the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan and the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality and Ecosystem Health.

“Our government is proud to support farmers in the Holland Marsh by helping them produce high-quality food while embracing innovation. By providing access to this funding, we are boosting resilience and safeguarding local water quality for generations to come.”

– Caroline Mulroney
MPP, York-Simcoe

“The Farm WISE program’s $3 million investment supports Holland Marsh farmers, our environment, and our thriving agribusinesses. By supporting innovative washwater technologies, we’re protecting the Lake Simcoe watershed while ensuring our farmers continue to lead in sustainable, high-quality food production.”

– Trevor Jones
Minister, Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness

“On behalf of the Holland Marsh Growers Association, we would like to thank the Ontario Government for their support and continued investment in agriculture. With this investment, farmers will be able to upgrade and improve the tools they have to further their productivity and sustainably feed Ontario. At the end of the day farmers are the stewards of the land, and the Ontario Government is helping them with another piece of the puzzle to achieve their goals. We would also like to thank MPP Mulroney for always being a champion for the farmers and the Holland Marsh.”

– Tim Horlings
Chair, Holland Marsh Growers’ Association

QUICK FACTS

• Ontario’s agri-food supply chain is a substantial and often underestimated economic force, contributing $47 billion to the province’s gross domestic product (GDP), as referenced in Grow Ontario: a provincial agri-food strategy.
• Since 2018, the Ontario government has committed over $37 million in actions to protect and restore Lake Simcoe, including multi-year projects to reduce the amount of phosphorous, road salt and other pollutants from entering Lake Simcoe.
• Some signs of recovery in the Lake Simcoe watershed include:
  • A 50 per cent reduction in phosphorous from sewage treatment plants entering the watershed.
  • Reduced algae in the lake, leading to improved water quality.
  • The warm water fish community, including Yellow Perch, has remained stable over time. One change in recent years, is that there are now fewer but larger Smallmouth Bass.