Do you want your kids to farm?

Gredig: From the Fencerow

Do you want your kids to farm?

As a farmer and father with a young son, it’s a question that has started to creep into the back of my mind. The old saying is, “farmers farm for their sons and daughters”. The inference is that for a family farm to succeed, each generation builds onto what came before and passes it on in better shape. This pattern has served us well for the past 150 years or so, but is it an out of date way of thinking or does this approach still have merit?

I never felt any pressure to come home to the farm. I was encouraged to find summer jobs off the farm to get some exposure to other ways of making a living. I laid a few million yards of sod (well, it seemed like millions) for a landscaping company for a couple of summers, harvested tobacco, and worked at a golf course. After high school, I went to university chasing a degree in agricultural economics. At home, the message was, if you want to come home after university, the farm will be here.

When I took a job in the big city as a policy researcher after graduation, I could tell that my parents still held out hope that I would farm, but either way, they were moving forward and the farm was evolving.

After a couple of years of fun in the city the light bulb went on and I knew I wanted to give it a shot at home. It was an easy decision that took 24 years to become apparent. I guess I learned from my parents that it’s important to encourage the next generation to consider all the opportunities available to them, including agriculture. And this could mean primary production or a job related to agriculture.

By the time I came home, the hog operation had been shuttered and a progressive apple orchard was added as a new enterprise. If I had shown interest earlier, there is a good chance that there would have been more land and more pigs, but there would also have been more pressure to follow that model. Because my parents had moved forward with enterprises that were right for them, there was room for me to start my own direction when I started farming.

Now I am the farmer with a kid. Some days the boy thinks living on a farm is the best ever (go-carts rock!). Other days, he wonders why we can’t live in town where the kids play street hockey every day after school! I think I was the same way.

Some people say the economics of agriculture today make it very difficult for farmers to keep the farm viable and available for the next generation. I think this has always been true, but I agree that high asset values make it more difficult for some to forego cashing in, especially if there are numerous siblings that must be considered in succession planning.

I guess at this early stage I’ll do my best to be a positive influence and to keep as many options open as possible, both for myself and my son. I’m not as concerned about building a certain scale or kind of operation. My experience is that the next generation should be encouraged to consider new enterprises and new approaches.

What do you think? Do you want your kids to farm? What are the opportunities/challenges?

Peter Gredig
Farms.com Media
Peter.Gredig@Farms.com

Follow me on Twitter. I’m Agwag.

This commentary is for informational purposes only. The opinions and comments expressed herein represent the opinions of the author--they do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Farms.com. This commentary is not intended to provide individual advice to anyone. Farms.com will not be liable for any errors or omissions in the information, or for any damages or losses in any way related to this commentary.

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Robert Hillman on December 13, 2011 at 11:43am

because of selfishness

the dad should have said NO

the dad should have been a man and done what he wanted

Roadrunner said:

I was talking to a friend the other day....the son wants to farm but the challenges of succession between the 3 generations of the family made it impossible....they needed to sell the land and operation to satisfy the siblings...still bitter feelings between everyone.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Robert Hillman on December 13, 2011 at 11:45am

we just want to farm one hundred acers

there is three of us to work full time

we will live in the country and work for free for ten years for a farmer that will help us get our own hundred acers

i can make 25 thousand a year with a hundred acers and thats all we want

▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion

‹ Previous
1
2
Next ›

RSS

Welcome to
Ontario Agriculture

Sign Up
or Sign In

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Minister’s statement on Canadian Council of Forest Ministers chair appointment

Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests, has released the following statement on the annual meeting of the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM): “This week, I met with federal, provincial and territorial forest ministers from across Canada to discuss shared priorities, challenges and emerging opportunities for Canada’s forestry sector. “It’s an honour to take on the role of incoming chair of the CCFM for the upcoming year. I want to thank the Honourable Lisa Dempster, Minister of Fisheries, Forests and Agriculture for Newfoundland and Labrador, for her leadership over the past year. “As British Columbia’s minister of forests, I’ve seen first-hand the importance of working together across jurisdictions to strengthen Canada’s forest sector in the face of persistent and new challenges. From global trade dynamics and U.S. tariffs, to ever-intensifying wildfire seasons and shifting labour markets, these challenges don’t stop at provincial or territorial boundaries, and neither can our so

Farmers’ market program delivers another bountiful harvest

People in British Columbia will continue to have improved access to nutritious, locally grown foods through the B.C. Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program. “As the weather warms up and more people take advantage of British Columbia’s amazing farmers’ markets, we are helping people and families on lower incomes access fresh and nutritious foods grown in their communities,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program promotes healthy eating and gives people an opportunity to connect with and support local farmers and producers.” The B.C. Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program is operating in more than 90 communities throughout the province, reaching families, seniors and pregnant people from more than 8,500 households. “We all want people to be able to access nutritious, healthy food in their communities,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “Our funding will help more people, including seniors and fami

Pulse Market Insight #277

Weather Market or Not? There’s no shortage of question marks about 2025 crop production. StatsCan will issue updated acreage numbers on June 27 and the USDA will release its latest acreage estimates on June 30. These reports should provide some direction for the 2025/26 crop outlooks. It will be interesting to see whether all the trade uncertainty caused farmers to shift acreage, including for pulses. But that’s just the beginning of the story. We’re still just in the first month of the growing season and already, it’s been a roller coaster in many parts of the prairies, in some ways similar to 2024. Prior to seeding in late March, there were a few dry areas on the prairies but overall, conditions seemed positive and there was some early optimism. Move forward to the end of April though and the AAFC Drought Monitor map showed expanding areas of drought, particularly in the northern prairies, where pea acreage is concentrated. By the end of May, the drought situation had spread across

Saskatchewan Topsoil Moisture Improves, but Some Crop Damage Too

Saskatchewan topsoil moisture conditions improved following heavy rain in some locations this past week, although crop damage also occurred in the worst-hit areas. In addition to the rain, with localized amounts in excess of 100 mm, some areas also experienced minor to severe hail and wind damage, “with producers still assessing which crops will be able to recover,” said Thursday’s weekly crop report. On the other hand, some crops also continue to suffer from dryness and drought, with the Northwest Region seeing only limited rainfall in the past week. Areas in the west-central and pockets in other regions received significant rainfall. The Macklin area received the highest rainfall at 108 mm, followed by the Wilkie area at 107 mm. The Semans area reported 99 mm and the Luseland area reported 96 mm for the week. Rainfall significantly increased topsoil moisture in all regions (see map below). Provincially, cropland topsoil moisture was rated as 6% surplus, 74% adequate, 16% shor

Betting on America: How WorkSaver Tripled & Thrives in U.S. Manufacturing

In this episode of The Germinate Podcast, Joe Sampson and Tim Burenga take listeners on a 45-year journey of WorkSaver—from its founding by Tim’s father in 1980 to its evolution as a dual-focused manufacturer and OEM contract specialist.

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service