University of Guelph — Ontario has lost 319 acres of farmland a day since 2016, according to the recently released 2021 Census of Agriculture. The number of small- to medium-sized farms is decreasing while the number of larger farms is increasing. These numbers show some family farms’ difficulties in maintaining a viable agricultural livelihood. But […] Read more
Tag Archives Family farm
Diversifying on-farm land use
Farmers look for municipal guidance when diversifying operations
Managing a family legacy
Property can be protected through improved legal agreements, while accounting for emotional connections
Explaining estate decisions might be the key difference between maintaining a viable farm business and disintegration of a family legacy. In part three of this farm business planning series, Ray Riel, a farm transition and business management professional and operator of Advice Only Financial Group, reiterates two critical elements of successful succession planning: providing clear […] Read more
Why life insurance matters in succession
Farm transition specialist Ray Riel discusses what different types of insurance can and can’t do for a family and business
In a previous edition of Farmtario, we spoke with farm transition professional Ray Riel about why young farmers should have a last Will and Testament. In this instalment, Riel expands on estate planning by delving into life insurance. We asked Riel to explain how and why farmers of all ages should ensure they have the […] Read more
New B.C. youth work rules: Heavy lifting, ag chem handling out
New standards also lift province's 'general working age' to 16
“Light farm and yard work” are deemed appropriate for workers at ages 14 and 15 under new employment standards taking effect in British Columbia this fall. The province on Wednesday announced changes to its Employment Standards Act, which have been through the development and consultation stages since 2019, have now been finalized and will take […] Read more
Planning for “What if”
Succession planning questions to ask and steps to take to start the conversation
Many farms think an unexpected change will never happen in their family. The premise is: “our family operation has nothing to worry about.” Few family operations survive unexpected changes to the business, such as changes due to a death, sudden illness, family or legal disputes, divorce, financial stress or loss of a key employee. Why […] Read more
Opinion: RIP the family farm
Dear editor, I’m afraid the family farm is dying despite Professor Mike’s enthusiastic optimism in the Sept. 9 Farmtario edition. Let’s use the same chart he used to prove my point. By looking at the columns and changing the graph to percentages, farms making over $2 million dollar are up 1,100 per cent. And if […] Read more
Documentary explores subject of farm succession
Filmmaker focuses on the story of a retiring Ontario farmer who is passing on his operation to a non-family member
Filmmaker Brina Romanek was working on a project about food waste in Canada when one of her subjects showed her how many farms in the area were not being passed down to the next generation. It sparked an interest in her, and also anxiety about what it would mean for farming’s future. The feeling was […] Read more
Prairie farm boys called up to Ontario’s big show
The Hunter Brothers' music career is taking off
The Hunter Brothers will be making their first visit to Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, performing in the New Holland building on Sept. 11 at 1 p.m. But the country music group’s members are no stranger to farming, having grown up on their Shaunavon, Sask. farm. When not touring, the five brothers known for their harmonies […] Read more
Sorting out roles often starting place for young farmers
Succession planning sometimes left until returning youth find their place
Developing a succession plan is often a long and complicated process and for younger people just returning to the family farm, it may not be the first priority. Finding, or rediscovering, their place on the farm is more likely to be top of mind for many of them. For those farmers, determining their roles and […] Read more
Farm households earning more – but is it coming from the farm?
Changes in farm structure and rural opportunities have boosted the income of Canadians who live on farms
Canadian farm family incomes have pulled ahead of other Canadian households by a large margin, but it may have more to do with off-farm revenue sources than it does higher returns from farming. The median income reported by farm households is now 17.3 per cent more than the median recorded by non-farm workers, which is […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
