Statistical Profile of Hants County

Prepared by the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture

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Contents 1.0 Introduction ...... 2 Agriculture in the Local Economy ...... 2 2.0 Population and Population Change ...... 3 3.0 Economic Profile ...... 4 4.0 Agricultural Profile of Hants County ...... 5 4.1 Number of Farms ...... 5 4.2 Farm Revenue ...... 7 4.3 Farm Expenses ...... 10 4.4 Land Use ...... 12 4.5 Farm Size ...... 13 Bibliography ...... Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix ...... Error! Bookmark not defined.

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1.0 Introduction

Agriculture in the Local Economy

Hants County is home to a variety of farm production activities from cattle ranching to fruit and tree nut production. This agricultural diversity and innovation is critical to economic development in Hants. In 2010, Hants County farms reported a total of approximately $65.6 million in farm receipts which accounted for 11.03% of all receipts reported in Nova Scotia. In the same year, farms in Hants County reported a total business operating expense of approximately $53.2 million. Thus, agriculture in Hants produced a surplus of approximately $12.4 million.

The economy in Hants County is largely built on its diversified agricultural industry. Although agriculture is a dominant industry in the Hants economy, there are many emerging industries such as trade, health care, construction, and manufacturing. Agri-tourism is also a significant industry in Hants which aims to promote local agriculture through tourism activities. In Hants, these enterprises include a variety of farmer’s markets, U-picks, wineries and fairs.

Despite a slight decline in the number of farms in Hants County, the number of acres used for farming purposes had increased since 2006. Indeed, Hants County ranks sixth among all counties in regard to its use of arable land (“Hants County,” para. 3). With 13% of arable land being used for agricultural production, Hants meets the provincial average of 13% (“Hants County,” para. 3). It is clear that agriculture remains a vital industry to the economy in Hants and will continue to play a significant role in the future of Nova Scotia’s economy.

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2.0 Population and Population Change

Between the years 2006 and 2011, Hants County experienced a population increase of 2.7% or a total of 1122 people. Table 1 demonstrates that, for the most part, Hants experienced an increase in population across all census subdivisions. The town of Hantsport was the only area to experience a population decline with a percentage change of -2.7%. Hants County’s population growth (2.7%) exceeded that of Nova Scotia’s (0.9%).

Table 1: Population of Hants and Census Subdivisions, 2006-2011

Area 2011 2006 % Change Hants County 42,304 41,182 2.7 East Hants (Municipality) 22,111 21,397 3.3 Hantsport (Town) 1,159 1,191 -2.7 Indian Brook (Reserve) 1,084 1,014 6.9 West Hants (Municipality) 14,165 13,871 2.1 Windsor (Town) 3,785 3,709 2 Note: Adapted from Statistics Canada, 2011.

The population of Hants County is predominately concentrated in rural regions. Since 2006, both population centres and rural areas experienced a population increase of approximately 3% and 0.9% respectively.

Table 2: Hants County, Rural and Population Centres1, 2006-2011

2011 2006

Population % of Total Population % of Total

Rural 37,360 88.3 36,282 88.1

Population Centre 4,944 11.7 4,900 11.9

Total 42,304 100 41,182 100 Note: Adapted from Statistics Canada, 2011.

1 Population centre refers to an area of at least 1,000 and no fewer than 400 persons per square kilometer. Beginning in 2011, the term ‘population centre’ replaces the term ‘urban area’ from previous censuses. 4

3.0 Economic Profile

In 2013, the Annapolis region (including Hants, Kings and Annapolis Counties)2 represented approximately 51% of the agricultural industry in Nova Scotia. Although, an estimate for Hants County is not specifically given, the data indicates that its geographic region comprises a majority of the agricultural industry.

In comparison to the other industries in the Annapolis region, agriculture accounted for approximately 4.89% of all jobs in the region, which is significantly higher than the provincial average of 1.17%. The industries with the highest employment in the Annapolis region were trade, health care and social assistance, construction and manufacturing.

Table 3: Annapolis Region, Total Employment by Industry, 2013

Nova % of Nova Scotia's Annapolis % of Annapolis Region's Industry Scotia Total Employment Valley Total Employment Total employed, all industries 453,800 100 55,200 100 Agriculture 5,300 1.17 2,700 4.89 Forestry, fishing, mining, etc. 11,200 2.47 500 0.91 Utilities 4,600 1.01 N/A N/A Construction 33,500 7.38 6,000 10.87 Manufacturing 30,600 6.74 5,800 10.51 Trade 73,000 16.09 9,600 17.39 Transportation and warehousing 19,600 4.32 2,500 4.53 Finance, insurance, real estate and leasing 22,100 4.87 2,200 3.99 Professional, scientific and technical services 27,800 6.13 2,400 4.35 Business, building and other support services 23,500 5.18 2,300 4.17 Educational services 36,700 8.09 3,400 6.16 Health care and social assistance 69,400 15.29 7,700 13.95 Information, culture and recreation 19,300 4.25 1,300 2.36 Accommodation and food services 29,000 6.39 3,300 5.98 Other services 18,600 4.1 2,500 4.53 Public administration 29,400 6.48 2,900 5.25

2 The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) divides Nova Scotia into 5 geographical regions. The Annapolis Valley region includes Hants, Kings and Annapolis counties. According to the Labour Force Survey Estimates (LFS), some areas are too small to enable production of independent estimates from the survey. Thus, smaller regions with similar economic characteristics are grouped together. 5

Note: Adapted from Statistics Canada, 2013.

Figure 1 displays a clear comparison of the percentages of total employed by each industry in Nova Scotia and the Annapolis region.

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16 14 12 10 8 6

4 %of Total Employed 2 Nova Scotia 0 Annapolis Region

Industry

Figure 1: % of Total Employed by Industry: Annapolis Region vs. Nova Scotia, 2013.

Note: Adapted from Statistics Canada, 2013.

4.0 Agricultural Profile of Hants County

4.1 Number of Farms

From 2006 to 2011, the total number of farms in Hants County had decreased by one. Table 4 indicates that the predominant farm types in Hants County were cattle ranching (25.1%), other crop farming (23.1%), and other animal production (21.6%). Although ranching cattle remains a dominant farm activity in Hants, it had dramatically decreased from 135 to 86 farms (-36.3%) since 2006. In addition, hog and pig; poultry and egg; and greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production had slightly decreased with the decline of 50%, 16.67% and 6.67% respectively. All other types of farm production had either increased or remained the same. 6

Table 4: Hants County, Total Number of Farms by Farm Type, 2006-2011

Farm Type 2011 2006 % Change # of Farms % of Total # of Farms % of Total Cattle ranching and farming 86 25.1 135 39.4 -36.3 Hog and pig farming 1 0.3 2 0.6 -50 Poultry and egg production 10 2.9 12 3.5 -16.67 Sheep and goat farming 14 4.1 11 3.2 27.27 Other animal production 74 21.6 62 18.1 19.35 Oilseed and grain farming 2 0.6 1 0.3 100 Vegetable and melon farming 16 4.7 13 3.8 23.08 Fruit and tree nut farming 32 9.4 31 9 3.23 Greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production 28 8.2 30 8.7 -6.67 Other crop farming 79 23.1 46 13.4 71.74 Total farms 342 100 343 100 -0.29 Note: Retrieved from Statistics Canada, 2011.

In comparison to Nova Scotia, Hants County had a higher percentage in several farm types including cattle ranching; sheep and goat; other animal production; vegetable and melon; and other crop farming. It is evident that the percentages of cattle ranching (25.1%) and other crops (23.1%) in Hants County were significantly higher than the provincial percentages of 17.9% and 17% respectively. The percentage of fruit and tree nut farm types in Hants County fell below that of the provincial average by 15.4%.

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25 20 15 10

5 %of Total Farms 0 Hants Nova Scotia

Farm Type

Figure 2: % of Total Farms by Farm Type: Hants County vs. Nova Scotia, 2011 7

Note: Adapted from Statistics Canada, 2011.

Table 5 demonstrates that the East Hants subdivision had the highest percentage of farms in the county (56.1%) while West Hants subdivision had the lowest percentage of farms (43.9%).

Table 5: Total Number of Farms by Farm Type by Census Subdivision, 20133

Farm Type Hants County West Hants East Hants

Cattle ranching and farming 86 27 59

Hog and pig farming 1 1 0

Poultry and egg production 10 3 7

Sheep and goat farming 14 7 7

Other animal production 74 37 37 Oilseed and grain farming 2 0 2

Vegetable and melon farming 16 8 8 Fruit and tree nut farming 32 20 12

Greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production 28 9 19 Other crop farming 79 38 41

Total farms 342 150 192 Note: Retrieved from Statistics Canada, 2011.

4.2 Farm Revenue

Farms in Hants County reported approximately $65.6 million in farm receipts in 2010 which had increased from $56.7 million in 2006. Despite an increase in revenue, Hants County experienced a decline in its percentage of Nova Scotia’s total farm receipts. In 2006, Hants County’s revenue formed 11.12% of Nova Scotia’s total revenue. Meanwhile in 2010, Hants County’s revenue constituted 11.03% of Nova Scotia’s total revenue.

Table 6: Total Farm Receipts for Hants County and Nova Scotia, 2006-2010

3 According to Statistics Canada, a census subdivision is an area that is a municipality or an area that is deemed to be equivalent to a municipality for statistical reporting purposes. 8

2010 2006 % Change Nova Scotia $ 594,903,481.00 $ 509,520,691.00 16.76 Hants County $ 65,609,023.00 $ 56,659,950.00 15.79 % of Nova Scotia's receipts 11.03 11.12 Note: Adapted from Statistics Canada, 2011.

According to census subdivisions, East Hants subdivision reported approximately 76% of Hants County’s total farm receipts. This subdivision also had the highest receipts per farm with an approximate average of $261,000. West Hants subdivision was the only region that had receipts per farm lower than the County’s average of approximately $192,000. On the other hand, East Hants subdivision was the sole region to report average receipts per farm higher than the provincial average of $152,344.

Table 7: Total Farm Receipts by Census Subdivision for Hants County, 2010

Total Farms Total Farm Receipts % of County Total Receipts per Farm Hants County 342 $ 65,609,023.00 100 $ 191,839.25 West Hants 150 $ 15,501,349.00 23.63 $ 103,342.33 East Hants 192 $ 50,107,674.00 76.37 $ 260,977.47 Note: Adapted from Statistics Canada, 2011.

In 2010, 71.93% of farms in Hants County reported less than $50,000 in farm receipts. Farm receipts under $10,000 appeared to be the most popular category with 132 farms reporting receipts of this amount. These reports constituted 38.6% of the total farm receipts for Hants County.

Table 8: Total Number of Farms in Hants County by Farm Receipts, 2006-2010

Farm Receipts Category 2010 2006 # of Farms % of Total # of Farms % of Total Under $10,000 132 38.6 118 34.4 $10,000 to $24,999 79 23.1 77 22.45 $25,000 to $49,999 35 10.23 35 10.2 $50,000 to $99,999 21 6.14 20 5.83 $100,000 to $249,999 24 7.02 43 12.54 $250,000 to $499,999 22 6.43 21 6.12 $500,000 to $999,999 13 3.8 17 4.96 $1,000,000 to $1,999,999 8 2.34 7 2.04 $2,000,000 and over 8 2.34 5 1.46 Total Farms 342 100 343 100 Note: Adapted from Statistics Canada, 2011.

Figure 3 demonstrates that the percentage of farm receipts for Hants and Nova Scotia were similarly distributed across all categories. 9

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40 35 30 25 20 15 10

5 Nova Scotia %of Total Farm Receipts 0 Hants

Farm Receipts Category

Figure 3: % of Total Farms by Farm Receipts Category: Hants County vs. Nova Scotia, 2010

Note: Adapted from Statistics Canada, 2011.

Table 9 displays the reports for each farm receipts category according to each census subdivision. The most farms in each subdivision reported receipts under $10,000.

Table 9: Total Number of Farm by Total Farm Receipts Category by Census Subdivision, 2010

Farm Receipts Category Nova Scotia Hants County West Hants East Hants Under $10,000 1,643 132 56 76 $10,000 to $24,999 799 79 38 41 $25,000 to $49,999 418 35 17 18 $50,000 to $99,999 273 21 12 9 $100,000 to $249,999 277 24 11 13 $250,000 to $499,999 199 22 7 15 $500,000 to $999,999 154 13 6 7 $1,000,000 to $1,999,999 92 8 2 6 $2,000,000 and over 50 8 1 7

Total Farms 3,905 342 150 192 Note: Retrieved from Statistics Canada, 2011. 10

4.3 Farm Expenses

In 2010, the total farm business operating expense for Hants County was $53,168,927. In Hants, the average business operating expense per farm was approximately $155,000 which was greater than the provincial average of approximately $128,000. It is evident that the greatest expenses for farms were total feed, supplement and hay purchases ($12,464,217), total wages and salaries ($10,443,279), and other expenses excluding depreciation and capital cost allowance ($8,178,204). Interest expenses in Hants County were about 7.4% of total farm expenses while the provincial average was 5.2%. 11

Table 10: Farm Business Operating Expenses for Hants County and Nova Scotia, 2010

Nova Scotia Hants County

Farms Farms Reporting Amount ($) Reporting Amount ($) Fertilizer and lime purchases 1,957 $ 13,201,434.00 194 $ 1,450,399.00 Purchases of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, etc. 1,459 $ 11,734,327.00 107 $ 581,310.00 Seed and plant purchases (excluding materials purchased for resale) 1,286 $ 10,952,683.00 150 $ 1,274,773.00 Total feed, supplements and hay purchases 1,825 $ 108,870,856.00 209 $ 12,464,217.00

Livestock and poultry purchases 1,067 $ 30,507,684.00 127 $ 2,474,697.00 Veterinary services, drugs, semen, breeding fees, etc. 1,517 $ 8,710,636.00 178 $ 1,317,154.00 Custom work, contract work and hired trucking 1,665 $ 28,483,557.00 142 $ 1,920,333.00

Total wages and salaries 1,521 $ 101,190,562.00 144 $ 10,443,279.00 All fuel expenses (diesel, gas, etc.) 3,644 $ 26,035,222.00 317 $ 3,167,933.00 Repairs and maintenance to farm machinery, equipment and vehicles 3,344 $ 22,441,124.00 302 $ 2,341,026.00 Repairs and maintenance to farm buildings and fences 2,301 $ 10,367,519.00 235 $ 1,214,119.00 Rental and leasing of land and buildings 581 $ 4,145,716.00 69 $ 259,881.00 Rental and leasing of farm machinery, equipment and vehicles 515 $ 5,818,991.00 52 $ 707,503.00 Electricity, telephone and all other telecommunication services 2,898 $ 11,790,016.00 268 $ 1,424,193.00 Farm interest expenses 1,579 $ 26,107,223.00 151 $ 3,949,906.00 All other expenses (excluding depreciation and capital cost allowance) 3,352 $ 80,190,026.00 291 $ 8,178,204.00 Total farm business operating expenses 3,905 $ 500,547,576.00 342 $ 53,168,927.00 Note: Retrieved from Statistics Canada, 2011. 12

In 2006, Hants County farms reported a total of $50,863,922 in farm business expenses with an average expense per farm of approximately $148,300. On the other hand, in 2010, farms reported an amount of $53,168,927 with an average expense per farm of approximately $155,500. Therefore, farms in Hants County increased their average operating expense by approximately $7,100 in four years.

Table 11: Total Farm Business Operating Expenses Hants County, 2006-2010

Total Farm Business Farms Average Operating Operating Expenses Reporting Amount ($) Expense per Farm

2010 342 $ 53,168,927.00 $ 155,464.70

2006 343 $ 50,863,922.00 $ 148,291.32 Note: Adapted from Statistics Canada, 2011.

4.4 Land Use

In 2011, area in Christmas trees, woodlands and wetlands accounted for most of the land use in Hants County (47.58%). Furthermore, land in crops made up 36.56% of the land use in Hants County. Summer fallow, tame of seeded pasture, natural land for pasture, and other land composed the remaining farmland (15.86%).

In comparison to provincial land use, Hants County had a higher percentage of land used for crops and tame of seeded pasture. On the other hand, Nova Scotia’s percentage of total land use was higher in all other categories.

Table 12: Land Use for Hants County and Nova Scotia, 2011

Land Use Hants County Nova Scotia

# of Acres % of Total # of Acres % of Total Land in Crops (excluding Christmas tree area) 34,043 36.56 280,889 27.59

Summer Fallow 38 0.04 1,145 0.11

Tame of Seeded Pasture 5,024 5.39 52,271 5.13

Natural Land for Pasture 4,896 5.26 62,142 6.11 Area in Christmas trees, Woodlands and Wetlands 44,312 47.58 559,664 54.97

All Other Land 4,815 5.17 61,964 6.09

Total 93,128 100 1,018,075 100 Note: Adapted from Statistics Canada, 2011. 13

The number of acres used for farming purposes had increased from 90,349 acres to 93,128 acres since 2006. There had also been an increase in the percentage of total land used for Christmas trees, woodlands, wetlands, and all other land.

Table 13: Land Use in Hants County, 2006-2011

Land Use 2011 2006 # of Acres % of Total # of Acres % of Total Land in Crops (excluding Christmas tree area) 34,043 36.56 34,937 38.67 Summer Fallow 38 0.04 179 0.2

Tame of Seeded Pasture 5,024 5.39 5,938 6.57

Natural Land for Pasture 4,896 5.26 6,044 6.69 Area in Christmas trees, Woodlands and Wetlands 44,312 47.58 39,338 43.54 All Other Land 4,815 5.17 3,913 4.33

Total 93,128 100 90,349 100 Note: Adapted from Statistics Canada, 2011.

4.5 Farm Size

In 2011, the average farm size in Hants County was approximately 273 acres which was higher than the provincial average of approximately 260 acres. In comparison to the provincial average farm size, East Hants subdivision had a higher average while the West Hants subdivision’s average fell slightly below it.

Table 14: Total Acres and Average Farm Size in Hants County and Nova Scotia, 2011

Average Farm Total Farms Total Acres Size (acres)

Nova Scotia 3,905 1,018,075 260.71

Hants County 342 93,218 272.57

West Hants 150 31,971 213.14

East Hants 192 61,247 318.99 Note: Adapted from Statistics Canada, 2011. 14

In Hants County, approximately 49% of reporting farms owned less than 129 acres. Indeed, the most common acreage size in Hants was between 10 to 69 acres (89 farms reported). In total, the farms with these acreage sizes accounted for almost 26% of Hants farms.

Table 15: Total Farms by Farm Size Category for Hants County and Nova Scotia

Total Under 10 10-69 70-129 130-179 180-239 240-399 400-559 560-759 760 acres Farms acres acres acres acres acres acres acres acres and over

Nova Scotia 3,905 406 907 637 317 343 574 302 192 227 Hants County 342 24 89 55 29 33 42 29 18 23 West Hants 150 12 37 28 15 14 23 10 6 5 East Hants 192 12 52 27 14 19 19 19 12 18 Note: Retrieved from Statistics Canada, 2011.

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Bibliography

(2013). Hants County: Profile of Agricultural Land Resources. Retrieved from http://www.novascotia.ca/agri/elibrary/nsalrc/AppendixF-AgriculturalProfiles-Hants.pdf

(2006). Senior Safety Program. Retrieved from http://www.seniorsafetyprogram.ca/images/hants.gif

Statistics Canada. (2011). Farm and farm operator data [Table]. Retrieved from http://www29.statcan.gc.ca/ceag-web/eng/index- index;jsessionid=D68BABE4379BC41D58B112C4B2FAFFB8

Statistics Canada. (2013). Labour force survey estimates [Table 282-0061]. Retrieved from http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a47

Statistics Canada. (2011). Population and dwelling counts [Table]. Retrieved from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/hlt-fst/pd-pl/Table- Tableau.cfm?LANG=Eng&T=304&PR=12&S=51&O=A&RPP=10

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Appendix Map of Hants County

Note: Retrieved from Senior Safety Program, 2006.