Business Retention and Expansion - Agricultural Sector

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The municipality is undertaking a Business Retention + Expansion survey, focusing on the agricultural sector. To complete the online survey, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Ag_BRE.

WHAT IS A BR+E?

A BR+E is a tool municipalities can use to do a 'temperature check' on a specific sector, to better understand opportunities and challenges. An informal advisory group met over three weeks in December to finalize an online survey to capture quantitative data, and to plan focus groups that will help delve deeper into sector-specific issues.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?

The online survey seeks to better understand who is operating in the agricultural space in Prince Edward County and assess what the sector might look like in the next three years. In addition, it asks about issues and whether they’re a major, minor or no concern. These range from tariffs to worker housing to road safety to municipal fees and policies. The online survey is 20 questions and should take about seven to eight minutes to complete. The survey opens mid-January and will close at the end of February 2026.

WHO IS IT FOR?

We’re hoping to hear from anyone operating a farm – whether that’s livestock, commodity crops, food or specialty crops – as well as businesses that support farming, from seed suppliers to farm equipment to shipping or storage.

HOW WILL YOU USE THE INFORMATION YOU RECEIVE?

We do our best to act on it. In 2023, we did a sector-wide BR+E that turned up issues with transit, taxi service and questions around how the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) is spent. We've since added a transit coordinator, retooled summer service, updated the taxi by-law and will be conducting consultations on MAT spending. In 2024, we did a BR+E looking at the construction and skilled trades sector. It led to a review of Development Services, particularly planning processes, and resulted in a series of recommendations to automate processes, improve public meetings, and develop templates and communications tools to better serve applicants, neighbours and concerned residents. In 2025, we did a BR+E looking at professional services and remote workers. It led to a pilot co-working program at the Picton Town Hall and the revival of quarterly networking opportunities.

HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?

You can fill out the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Ag_BRE. (Please note that you may only fill out the survey once; we’ve done our best to make the survey flexible to cover operations that include more than one type of farming, processing, etc.)

You can also attend a focus group.

  • Food / Farmers Market Group (February 10; Picton Town Hall from 1:30-3 pm)
  • Grape and Apple Growers (February 11; Hillier Town Hall from 10-11:30 am)
  • On-Farm Diversified Uses (February 17; Bloomfield Town Hall from 1-2:30 pm)
  • Future of the Family Farm (February 25 at Rotary Hall, Picton from 11 am - 2 pm/includes lunch)

WHAT IF I’M NOT A FARMER OR AG-BUSINESS OPERATOR, BUT STILL WANT TO CONTRIBUTE?

You’re welcome to connect with Karen Palmer, Economic Development Officer, who is implementing the survey and will report on its findings and recommendations to Council. Please send me an email to connect at kpalmer[at]pecounty.on.ca.

The municipality is undertaking a Business Retention + Expansion survey, focusing on the agricultural sector. To complete the online survey, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Ag_BRE.

WHAT IS A BR+E?

A BR+E is a tool municipalities can use to do a 'temperature check' on a specific sector, to better understand opportunities and challenges. An informal advisory group met over three weeks in December to finalize an online survey to capture quantitative data, and to plan focus groups that will help delve deeper into sector-specific issues.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?

The online survey seeks to better understand who is operating in the agricultural space in Prince Edward County and assess what the sector might look like in the next three years. In addition, it asks about issues and whether they’re a major, minor or no concern. These range from tariffs to worker housing to road safety to municipal fees and policies. The online survey is 20 questions and should take about seven to eight minutes to complete. The survey opens mid-January and will close at the end of February 2026.

WHO IS IT FOR?

We’re hoping to hear from anyone operating a farm – whether that’s livestock, commodity crops, food or specialty crops – as well as businesses that support farming, from seed suppliers to farm equipment to shipping or storage.

HOW WILL YOU USE THE INFORMATION YOU RECEIVE?

We do our best to act on it. In 2023, we did a sector-wide BR+E that turned up issues with transit, taxi service and questions around how the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) is spent. We've since added a transit coordinator, retooled summer service, updated the taxi by-law and will be conducting consultations on MAT spending. In 2024, we did a BR+E looking at the construction and skilled trades sector. It led to a review of Development Services, particularly planning processes, and resulted in a series of recommendations to automate processes, improve public meetings, and develop templates and communications tools to better serve applicants, neighbours and concerned residents. In 2025, we did a BR+E looking at professional services and remote workers. It led to a pilot co-working program at the Picton Town Hall and the revival of quarterly networking opportunities.

HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?

You can fill out the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Ag_BRE. (Please note that you may only fill out the survey once; we’ve done our best to make the survey flexible to cover operations that include more than one type of farming, processing, etc.)

You can also attend a focus group.

  • Food / Farmers Market Group (February 10; Picton Town Hall from 1:30-3 pm)
  • Grape and Apple Growers (February 11; Hillier Town Hall from 10-11:30 am)
  • On-Farm Diversified Uses (February 17; Bloomfield Town Hall from 1-2:30 pm)
  • Future of the Family Farm (February 25 at Rotary Hall, Picton from 11 am - 2 pm/includes lunch)

WHAT IF I’M NOT A FARMER OR AG-BUSINESS OPERATOR, BUT STILL WANT TO CONTRIBUTE?

You’re welcome to connect with Karen Palmer, Economic Development Officer, who is implementing the survey and will report on its findings and recommendations to Council. Please send me an email to connect at kpalmer[at]pecounty.on.ca.

Page last updated: 21 Jan 2026, 02:30 PM