No farm, no problem: Young farmers get their start in the industry in other ways

Article content

It was a documentary Michael Nantis watched on Netflix during the early months of the pandemic that cemented his love for permaculture.

Article content

Article content

Nantis, who grew up outside Montreal in Pointe-Claire, began experimenting in his mother’s backyard, growing cabbage, cucumbers and zucchini for the first time in more than four years.

“I didn’t really know much at the time,” the 26-year-old said. “I used to buy seedlings and plant them.”

Article content

Then came a wave of changes in his life and career plans.

Nantis switched from his university’s economics degree to the biology program to learn more about plants. He focused on learning all about farming — first in a soil plant lab and later on a vertical farm in Montreal. Vertical farming stacks crops vertically in layers, usually in an indoor environment, allowing farmers to control light, humidity and temperature. It is gaining popularity, especially in urban areas.

“Was I thinking about vertical farming when I switched to biology? The answer is no,” Nantis recalls.

“I was open-minded… I just wanted to learn,” he said.

Younger Canadians may not have the farmland or heavy machinery needed to begin traditional agricultural occupations, but they are equipped with technology. This changes the way they get their foot in the door – even when they don’t come from farming families.

Traditionally, many agriculture students come from rural areas and plan to eventually take on a farm, said Jay Steeves, dean of the Werklund School of Agriculture and Technology at Olds College in Alberta.

Article content

Article content

Now, more students from urban areas are joining agricultural programs in schools, and graduates are finding niches in the field.

“It’s not just farming vast acres with large operations,” Steves said. “We’re starting to see indoor farming, the idea of ​​producing and creating food for a growing population.”

Steeves remembers a school project a year ago when a student grew lettuce in his bedroom and was able to control different environments, humidity and light intensity remotely.

“The idea of ​​a student or individual in a tiny little dorm room with a growing operation the size of a small refrigerator is part of agriculture at this time, and it is now producing food that can be grown,” Steeves said. Used and consumed by anyone on the planet.

Innovation is key for aspiring farmers, said Craig Clymer, chief economist at Farm Credit Canada. Starting small can be the first step.

“With the changing face of the Canadian people, it creates new opportunities for markets,” he said. For example, there has been a growing demand for sheep and goat meat, which can be started on a small scale and scaled up.

Article content

Others are looking into more specialized areas in the sector — growing herbs or working in sustainable agriculture — which need less capital investment and resources to start operations, he said.

“When you look at opportunities, you’ll find them in smaller areas,” Clymer said. “Finding a new and innovative solution and making some partnerships would be a good way to start.”

Nantis moved to Toronto last year to set up his own vertical farm business with investment from his uncle, but faced a logistical problem: finding suitable rental space for the operation.

He decided instead to partner with an existing vertical farm, Living Earth Farm, which grows sunflowers, peas, radishes, basil, cilantro and arugula, among other microgreens.

He runs the farm as a partner and plans to stay there for a while. “Hopefully we can expand, increase our supply and start selling more of it.”

The exploration of specialized agricultural areas comes at a time when the costs of farmland and farm machinery have risen dramatically over the years.

The price of farmland in southern Ontario has risen from an average of $2,616 per hectare in 1996 to about $23,100 per hectare in 2023, according to Farm Credit Canada’s Historic Farmland Values ​​Report. Other provinces saw similar jumps in prices.

Article content

“In fact, if we look at traditional crop production in Canada broadly, they present very high barriers to entry,” Clymer said. “It will take a significant amount of capital to make these investments.”

This means that not everyone is in a position to own a facility or manage farmland, regardless of its size.

Many young graduates from the College of Agriculture focus on areas such as crop science and work with major producers to help them become more efficient, Steeves said.

“A farmer is not your classic image, (a) person standing in the field, hands dirty working with animals,” Steeves said.

Field work including drone assessments, pest management and soil testing are jobs that are increasingly finding a place among modern agriculture workers who want to be part of the food system but can’t own their own operations.

“It’s less about operating and owning and more about doing more production consulting,” Steves said.

Flexibility can go a long way for a young farmer. Like any other job, aspiring farmers need soft skills like communication and mobility to get jobs, Steeves said.

Article content

Despite the growing interest in agriculture and the culture of growing your own food, there is still a labor shortage in the agriculture sector.

As more Canadian farmers head into retirement, fewer young people are stepping up to take on these roles. About 61 per cent of Canadian farm operators were 55 or older, according to a 2021 Statistics Canada report. Meanwhile, the number of farmers under 35 declined to 8.6 per cent as of 2021, from 11.5 percent in 2001.

“I think we still need more people,” Steeves said.

He said there is a place for everyone to be a part of agriculture – if not at the farmer or producer level – and still feel connected to the industry.

“We’re still trying to get rid of that myth that you have to come from this background to get involved,” Steeves said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 21, 2024.

Article content