Agriculture
Oxford County’s agricultural policies generally apply to all lands located outside of designated settlements (villages, towns or city), which make up roughly 87% of the County’s total land area. In Oxford County, these policies are particularly important for ensuring the County’s overall land resources are sustainably managed and protected for the long term.
Oxford’s agricultural sector is important, both locally and provincially, due to factors such as:
- the size and quality of the agricultural land base;
- favourable climate and high crop yields;
- the percentage of higher grossing farms and level of capital investment per farm;
- size, type and productivity of agriculture operations;
- impact on local and Provincial economies (employment, assessment, expenditures etc.); and
- being highly accessible to both Canadian and US markets.
Oxford County Council adopted the updated agricultural policies on May 25, 2022. The policies were approved by the Province of Ontario with modifications on February 8, 2024, and are now in effect.
Agricultural policy review
As part of the review of the Official Plan, Oxford County is reviewing and updating agricultural policies to:
- ensure they comply with applicable legislation, policies and guidelines;
- reflect local goals and objectives and address various issues and considerations identified through background policy research and preliminary consultation; and
- improve the readability and clarity of the policies and reduce repetition.
The Planning Act requires Oxford County’s area municipalities to update their zoning by-laws following any updates to the Oxford County Official Plan. The Townships of Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra Tavistock, Norwich, South-West Oxford, and Zorra are each proposing updates to zoning in the agricultural area to support the implementation of the recently approved Agricultural Policy Amendment for Oxford County.
Updating the five rural zoning by-laws to align with the updated Official Plan will help ensure our agricultural land resources are sustainably managed and protected for the long term, while also promoting opportunities for the agricultural economy to grow.
What’s being looked at
Each of the five rural townships will be undertaking their own zoning by-law reviews. The Zoning By-Law reviews will generally apply township-wide. Zoning by-law reviews will examine all the existing agricultural (e.g., A1, A2, AB) and rural (e.g., RR) zoning categories and associated definitions or related provisions. It may also include the addition of new zoning categories, defined terms and related provisions.
Community feedback helps inform the development of a detailed set of provisions for each the zoning by-laws. Draft by-laws will be released at a later date for community engagement and discussion, including Township councils and staff, community groups, and the general public.
An open house is being scheduled to provide an opportunity to give feedback on the proposed approaches to the Agricultural Zoning Review happening in each township.
Thursday, March 6, 2025
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Oxford County Administration Building
21 Reeve Street, Woodstock
Attendees are welcome to ask questions of staff available on-site and submit their feedback regarding the zoning reviews for the Townships of Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Norwich, South-West Oxford, and Zorra.
Can’t make the open house? All materials from the open house will be posted for review on this webpage following the event.
- County Council report CP 2022-210: Phase 1 Official Plan Update - Agricultural Policies – Amended OPA 269 (May 25, 2022)
- Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing - Notice of Decision (Feb 8, 2024)
- Oxford County Council - Adopted Official Plan Amendment (OPA 269) with Modifications (Agricultural Policy Updates) (May 25, 2022)
Agricultural zoning reviews by Township
The Township of Blandford-Blenheim initiated the review of the Zoning By-Law to implement the new Agricultural Policies of the Official Plan on November 20, 2024.
Read the council report here: CP 2024-347 - Agricultural Zoning Review – Initiation of proposed amendments to the Township Zoning By-Law.
For any future updates or questions on Blandford-Blenheim’s Zoning Review, reference Zoning By-Law Amendment file number 1-24-25.
The Township of East Zorra-Tavistock initiated the review of the Zoning By-Law to implement the new Agricultural Policies of the Official Plan on November 20, 2024.
Read the council report here: CP 2024-348 - Agricultural Zoning Review – Initiation of proposed amendments to the Township Zoning By-Law.
For any future updates or questions on East Zorra-Tavistock’s Zoning Review, reference Zoning By-Law Amendment file number 2-25-01.
The Township of Norwich initiated the review of the Zoning By-Law to implement the new Agricultural Policies of the Official Plan on January 15, 2025.
Read the council report here: CP 2025-01 - Agricultural Zoning Review – Initiation of proposed amendments to the Township Zoning By-Law.
For any future updates or questions on Norwich’s Zoning Review, reference Zoning By-Law Amendment file number 3-25-04.
The Township of South-West Oxford initiated the review of the Zoning By-Law to implement the new Agricultural Policies of the Official Plan on October 15, 2024.
Read the council report here: CP 2024-332 - Agricultural Zoning Review – Initiation of proposed amendments to the Township Zoning By-Law.
For any future updates or questions on South-West Oxford’s Zoning Review, reference Zoning By-Law Amendment file number 4-24-20.
The Township of Zorra initiated the review of the Zoning By-Law to implement the new Agricultural Policies of the Official Plan on November 6, 2024.
Read the council report here: CP 2024-341 - Agricultural Zoning Review – Initiation of proposed amendments to the Township Zoning By-Law.
For any future updates or questions on Zorra’s Zoning Review, reference Zoning By-Law Amendment file number 5-24-12.
Contact for more information
For questions about the Townships’ Agricultural Zoning Reviews, please contact Community Planning at planning@oxfordcounty.ca or call 1-800-755-0394.