In geographic research into urbanisation-agriculture interactions, a strong emphasis has been given to the negative effects of urbanisation on agriculture. Here, it is argued that the urbanisation-agriculture interaction process may provide certain opportunities for agricultural progress and development, depending upon the specific regional circumstances; the phenomenon of farmland renting from nonfarm landowners is thus studied as an example of such a potentially beneficial interaction. Statistical associations between agricultural and population variables for an area in southern Ontario provide the context for a detailed farmer survey. The results show farmland rental from nonfarm owners to be a significant factor in agricultural development in the urban fringe environment of the medium-sized, yet fast-growing cities in the study area, and add to recent literature which has stressed the complexities of urban fringe agriculture.