The past, present, and future of Canadian farming

In today’s Big Story Podcast, Canada’s farming industry is undergoing a transition.

An older generation of farmers are ready to retire, but finding successors for the family business poses a challenge. With corporate megafarms are acquiring farmland wherever possible, a younger generation of farmers strives to secure their own growing space.

Keith Currie, an eighth-generation farmer and president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, says many farming jobs are going unfulfilled.

“The one thing about agriculture is that it’s both an exciting industry to be in, but it’s also one that has a lot of uncertainty,” says Currie.

Aliyah Fraser, owner and operator of Lucky Bug Farm, a small-scale farm, says the cost of securing farmland for a younger generation is too high. “This is something that governments ideally would address, through policy change…It’s really important in Ontario, but also across the country,” says Fraser.

Both Currie and Fraser join Today’s Big Story to reflect two experiences within the farming industry.

So, where will the next generation of farmers emerge from? How will their approach differ? Why do so many older farmers struggle to sustain their businesses? What does the future hold for Canadian farming and who will own (or rent) the land?

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