Audio Excerpt

Sooo things are about to get a little weird! Well maybe not weird, just.. different..  We’re about to enter an agricultural valley known as the Holland Marsh. The valley contains 21,000 acres of flat and very fertile land, perfect for growing crops. 

 

The type of crops grown here have varied over the years, reflecting the changing demographic of the main market in Toronto. In the 1920’s for example, the main crops echoed European tastes. 

 

Yellow onions, potatoes, carrots, lettuce and radishes were all grown here and sold in Toronto markets. Demand for Italian produce like dandelion, escarole and endive grew.. Pun intended, between the 1950’s and 1980’s. 

 

The 1990’s saw the .. growth.. Hehe.. of Asian markets and subsequently crops like Bok Choy flourished. Back in the 1880’s however, the land was used to grow something other than food! 

 

Any idea what was grown, and why?