Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Do you want your kids to farm?

Gredig: From the Fencerow
Bookmark and Share
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 This pattern has served us well for the past 150 years or so, but is it an out of date way of thinking or does this approach still have merit?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.

Views: 1136

▶ 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.
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 to Discussion

RSS

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

SaskCrops has sent in their submission for the Federal pre-budget consultations

SaskCrops sent in their annual submission last week for Finance Canada’s federal pre-budget consultations. SaskCrops represents the vast majority of grain and oilseed producers in Saskatchewan through the participating growers' associations - SaskBarley, SaskCanola, SaskFlax, SaskOats, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, and Sask Wheat. The groups note that research funding remains a key advocacy priority for SaskCrops and want to see significant, predictable, and sustained investment in research from the government. Here is a list of recommendations the group would like to see included in the next budget and implemented. - Recommendation 1: That the government provides continued, stable, and enhanced investments in crop plant genetic research. - Recommendation 2: That the government invests in regional agronomic research to identify best management practices that capture increased yield potential from enhanced genetic innovations across diverse agroecological landscapes. - Recommend

Sask Barley joins Western Crop Innovations

Western Crop Innovations continues to grow. The Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission has joined Western Crop Innovations (WCI) as a voting member. Sask Barley has committed $50,000 in core funding as a transitional grant for the current fiscal year. Western Crop Innovations (WCI) work focuses on developing feed and forage barley, malting barley, and triticale varieties specifically tailored for the Western Prairies. The newly formed organization - formerly known as the Field Crop Development Centre - was founded earlier this year. WCI's Interim Executive Director Mark Olson says SaskBarley's endorsement is important adding there is a reason we named our organization WESTERN Crop Innovations - the work we do is intended to benefit farmers from Manitoba to BC. Sask Barley's Executive Director Jill McDonald says joining WCI as a Tier 1 member allows us to collaborate more closely on projects that will directly benefit our growers, and we’re excited to contribute to shaping

The deadline for the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers Board of Directors is Friday

The Saskatchewan Pulse Growers are looking to fill three positions on their Board of Directors.  Nominations are now being accepted for the three-year term positions.  SPG sees particular value in candidates with the following characteristics and experience:  Active role in the farm operation and its decision-making  Pulses are an important part of the operation of the farm  Interested in soybeans, faba beans, and chickpeas  Interested in learning more about joining the SPG Board from current Directors? SPG’s Nominations Committee would be interested in discussing the opportunity with you – feel free to reach out to the committee members below:  Trent Richards – Assiniboia, SK (306-640-7995)  Brad Blackwell – Dinsmore, SK (306-846-7091)  If you are a registered pulse producer (i.e. you have sold a pulse crop and paid levy to Saskatchewan Pulse Growers anytime since September 1, 2021), and are interested in taking an active role on the board you'll find the 2024-2025 SPG Board of Di

Trade War Looming Between Canada And China

The last time China took revenge on Canada, our canola industry suffered between 1.5 and 2.3 billion dollars in sales. That was the Huawei incident, when a top executive with the Beijing based company was taken into custody at the Vancouver airport at the request of the US government. China quickly retaliated by halting shipments of canola from Canada, claiming some of the shipments contained debris and was contaminated. No proof was ever given and none was offered. The Chinese government knows, when you want to get our government’s attention, go after canola, one of our most lucrative exports to that country. This week, in clear retaliation for Ottawa’s decision to tack on 100 percent tariffs to any Chinese built electric vehicle coming here, Beijing said it plans to start an anti-dumping investigation into canola imports from Canada. It’s not cutting off trade in the oilseed, at least not yet, perhaps using it as a warning for the Trudeau government to rethink its decision on Chine

Ag Barometer: Sentiment improves despite concerns

All three broad-based measures of farmer sentiment improved in July. The Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer Index rose 8 points to 113. At the same time, the Index of Current Conditions increased by 10 points to 100, and the Index of Future Expectations at 119 was 7 points higher than a month earlier. July’s sentiment improvement occurred even though prices for both corn and soybeans declined from the time survey responses were collected in June to July, according to a university news release. For example, Eastern Corn Belt cash prices for corn and soybeans declined 11% and 5%, respectively, from mid-June to mid-July. Responses to the individual questions used to calculate the indices indicated the sentiment shift was primarily attributable to fewer respondents saying conditions were worse than a year earlier and fewer saying they expect bad times in the future. Data collection for the July survey took place from July 15-19, which coincided with the dates for the Repu

© 2024   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service