The Ontario tobacco belt is the tobacco-growing region located in Norfolk County and eastern Elgin County in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Being close to the north shore of Lake Erie, the region has moderate climate with sandy and silt-loam soils well-suited to a wide variety of crops. United Empire Loyalists introduced this crop after fleeing from their tobacco farms following the American Revolution.

On August 8, 2008, tobacco farmers in this region were given $300 million to buy out their entire tobacco quota. All of the money was raised from a $1,000,000,000 fine against Imperial Tobacco and Rothman's Benson & Hedges. After receiving the money, farmers that signed the buy-out are permitted to grow any crop except for tobacco.

Although there are less tobacco farms, the existing ones are much larger and the amount grown is much more than in 2008. The crop is now sold mostly to China. Across Ontario’s tobacco belt, 243 growers are on track to harvest about 63 million pounds of tobacco from 23,000 acres of farmland in 2013.

Leamington has also been known for its greenhouses, and now has the largest number of commercial greenhouses in all of North America. Major products of the greenhouse industry, in addition to tomatoes, are peppers, cucumbers, roses, and other flowers. Hydroponic farming has been very successfully adopted by many greenhouse operators in Leamington.



The photograph was taken in 1967.