in ontario farming was generally quite profitable, especially after 1896. the major changes involved "mechanization of technology and a shift toward output of high-grade consumer oriented products", such as milk, eggs and vegetables for the fast-growing urban markets. it took farmers a half century to appreciate the value of high-protein soybean crops. introduced in the 1890s, acceptance was slow until 1943–52, when farmers in the southwestern counties expanded production. farmers increasingly demanded more information on the best farming techniques. their demands led to farm magazine and agricultural fairs. in 1868 the assembly created an agricultural museum, which morphed into the ontario agricultural college in guelph in 1874.