Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

In my previous discussion post I wrote about having access to capital or funds to leverage for more funds in order to start or expand the current operation.
On Sunday I found out that having access to money is not always the issue.
An acquaintance who farms a good 20 minutes away from our home base was contemplating what to do with his mother in-law's home farm. She current rents out the farm beside ours and no one lives in the house or uses the barn (for good reason). Through the conversation we talk about assisting beginning or young farmers. I mention - "I am interested in renting the land or buying the farm." The return comment was that I wouldn't rent the land for $xxx.00. I said - of course I would.
He said well... the current renter is really good to deal with (he rents in excess of 2000 acres and comes from god knows where and trucks all his products to somewhere else). Then I throw it back at him - so... how are we helping young people get started, such as myself or your own son, even when we are willing and able to pay the rent? (recall - the farm is right beside my dad's. No travel required). No comment. He was stuck on the current renter is a good renter (who is considered a larger cash cropper).
Maybe the next question at the local farmer meeting should be - we are asking the government to assist young farmers, what are we willing to do to help young farmers?
The government may well throw it back at us and ask - what are you doing to assist young farmers? Well... we won't let them bid for land, we won't let them rent land, we are reducing our sow herds,...

Views: 262

Replies to This Discussion

Just a thought, the current renter may be a young farmer.

Young farmers need economically viable farm operations to get involved with. These operations may be large or small. As a young farmer I have no interest in trying to start my own operation as there is much more incentive to get involved with established operations that have access to capital and the ability to leverage assets.
The current renter is well over 50 yrs young. So yeah - considering the average age of farmers is mid 50's he would be considered "young".
If it was a young farmer renting the land I would not be concerned at all.

Brett Schuyler said:
Just a thought, the current renter may be a young farmer.

Young farmers need economically viable farm operations to get involved with. These operations may be large or small. As a young farmer I have no interest in trying to start my own operation as there is much more incentive to get involved with established operations that have access to capital and the ability to leverage assets.

RSS

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

US Producer Sentiment Slips in December

U.S. producer sentiment declined slightly in December as concerns about tariffs and American export competitiveness weighed on farmers’ outlooks, according to the latest Purdue University–CME Group Ag Economy Barometer survey released Tuesday. The overall Ag Economy Barometer Index slipped three points from November to 136, reflecting a modest pullback in confidence after a stronger fall period. The decline was driven largely by softer long-term expectations. The Future Expectations Index fell four points to 140, while the Current Conditions Index held steady at 128, suggesting farmers’ views of present-day conditions remain relatively stable even as uncertainty clouds the outlook ahead. Export competitiveness emerged as a key pressure point, particularly for soybeans. While farmers expressed broad optimism about U.S. agricultural exports in general - only 5% of respondents said they expect exports to decline over the next five years — the tone shifted when the focus narrowed to so

Federal Biofuel Production Incentive Now in Effect

The federal government’s Biofuels Production Incentive is now in effect, marking a shift from policy announcement to on-the-ground support for Canada’s domestic renewable fuel sector as it grapples with intensifying trade pressures and global competition. Announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sept. 5, 2025, the incentive officially took effect Jan. 1 and is designed to stabilize and protect Canadian biofuel production capacity. The program will provide more than $370 million over two years, offering per-litre support to Canadian producers of biodiesel and renewable diesel from January 2026 through December 2027. Facilities will be eligible for support on up to 300 million litres of production each. Industry groups say the measure is an important, if incomplete, step. Fred Ghatala, president of Advanced Biofuels Canada Association, said the incentive helps counter the disadvantage Canadian producers have faced since the introduction of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and its C

Producer Research and Evaluation Project

Funding is available for on-farm research that helps producers evaluate the feasibility and impact of new production practices, technologies, or products under real farm conditions. This opportunity is designed to help producers generate meaningful, farm-specific data to support informed decision-making and advance profitability, competitiveness, and sustainability. Funding of up to $20,000 per project is available to support on-farm research that evaluates whether a production practice change is feasible on-farm. The goal is to help producers gather sufficient data to make informed decisions and understand how to further adapt a production practice. In most cases, producers are expected to be working with third-party service providers to support project trial design, delivery, and analysis. Proposals must include a sound project design and testing approach that supports the evaluation of whether the production practice results in a positive return on investment and is a favourable

The BCRC Congratulates Andrea Brocklebank on Selection as CEO of the Canadian Cattle Association

The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) congratulates Executive Director Andrea Brocklebank on being selected as chief executive officer of the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA). Andrea’s appointment, effective March 1, 2026, recognizes her outstanding leadership on behalf of Canada’s beef sector. “Andrea has devoted her career to ensuring beef producers have practical, economical, science-based solutions and the tools to adopt them,” said Dean Manning, Chair of the BCRC. “Her deep understanding of our industry and proven ability to build partnerships will serve CCA, its members and all Canadian beef producers exceptionally well. We look forward to continued collaboration with CCA.” Andrea has served the BCRC for the past 20 years, guiding its growth and building its reputation as an industry-leading organization with a strategic approach to research, quality assurance and knowledge mobilization. Her thoughtful, forward-looking leadership style, grounded in integrity and collaboratio

Swine Health Ontario confirms first PED case of 2026

A Perth County operation is Ontario’s first farm with PED in 2026

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service