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Author and/or Publisher: Sam Samson, CBC

Date of Publication: April 17, 2023

Brief summary: 40% of Farmers are going to be retired by 2023 and we need more people to step up and working for jobs in the agriculture industry. They won't be able to keep the jobs up to standards unless the immigrants coming into the country start working in this industry.

How is this article important?: It's important because this can cause food insecurity if enough people aren't involved in the industry so the cost of everything is going to go up and supplies will be limited.

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As Rehan Khan scans his 160 acres of muddy, partially snow-covered field, he sees golden - and red - opportunity.

"The first year, I seeded oats. Then in 2022, it was wheat. This year, it's red lentils," said the father of two who farms near Yorkton, Sask.

Khan left Pakistan in 2018 so his kids could go to school in Canada.

He said goodbye to his family farm and 20-year career in agriculture advising farmers on chemical and fertilizer use.

Getting into Canada's ag sector was the natural move, but Khan warns other migrants it's not easy.

"There must be local support. Then [immigrants] can be successful farming."

Researchers say Canada needs 30,000 new immigrants like Khan to either start up their own farms, or take over existing ones, to avoid a looming labour crisis in the agriculture industry. Some worry, however, current programs aren't set up to attract or support that workforce.

40 per cent of farmers to retire by 2033: report

About 40 per cent of Canadian farmers are expected to retire within the next 10 years, while 66 per cent of farmers don't have a succession plan, according to a recent report from RBC.

At the same time, researchers expect the agriculture industry to be down 24,000 farm, nursery and greenhouse workers.

To fill this gap, the report suggests Canada update its immigration programs to specifically bring in 30,000 farm-focused newcomers. One solution, the report states, is to create a federal process for experienced temporary foreign workers (TFW) to get permanent resident status.

The TFW program only "scratches the surface of the labour shortage," said Evan Fraser, co-author of the report and director of the Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph, where he is a professor of geography.

"We're also talking about radically new forms of agriculture like the explosion of the greenhouse industry ... and the emergence of the vertical farming sector," he said.

"These are year round operations.... So the very notion of a temporary migrant worker that comes in simply for the growing season doesn't really make sense."

Ag-focused immigration pilot ends in May

In 2020, Canada started an agriculture-specific immigration pilot program designed to give a path to permanent residency for non-seasonal workers with experience, but it's set to end this May.

Ottawa says as of February 2023, more than 1,500 people have been admitted through the program. The pilot was designed to handle up to 2,750 people.
LISTEN| Canadian farming is facing a crisis - could immigration be the answer?
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser was unavailable for an interview due to travel.

A department spokesperson told CBC in an email they are assessing the pilot "and the possible extension beyond its scheduled expiry."

The spokesperson said giving migrants permanent residence "is not the solution to labour shortages."

"These newcomers will only remain in the sector, like other permanent residents and Canadian citizens, if it offers competitive wages, good working conditions and long-term prospects for themselves and their families," he wrote.

The report also suggests Canada seek out farmers in countries such as the Netherlands and New Zealand who may be forced to downsize or close if they don't meet strict climate change rules regulating emissions.

Support needed through the process

There are other hurdles for experienced farmers who want to get started in Canada. For example, the price of farmland has increased more than 20 per cent over five years.

In many areas, a budget of $1 million might not cover a small farm, according to Rajin Gill, who specializes in farm realty in Abbotsford, B.C.

"I think there's a big discrepancy between pricing and what [newcomers] can afford," said Gill.

"We get lots of calls from people who are eager to start. They're the people you want opening the farms because they're passionate. But there's that gap between what they can afford and what they're going for."

Saskatchewan has the cheapest price per acre in Canada. Khan said he's invested $223,000 on his land since he bought it in 2021. He said he was lucky enough to buy when he did, since prices have gone up since then.

Beyond money, the support isn't there, he said.

"Unfortunately, in the very beginning, I couldn't find so much information. But now I know how to buy something, from where to buy ... where to sell grain. With the passage of time, I got this," he said.

Khan struggled to find affordable, fertile land in his price range near Regina, where his family settled. He bought land near Yorkton, and rents a place there so he can stay near the farm.

Khan's 160 acre-farm is relatively small compared to many operations in Saskatchewan, which made it tough to find a company willing to rent out machinery, he said. Luckily, a neighbouring family offered to rent out their machines - even showed him how to use it.

"They're more like family friends now," said Khan.

Khan wants to see government employees support newcomers with information up front on everything from renting machines to tips on selling the product.

"All these things should be considered not only for the immigrant, but for the government agency who wants to get farmers in here to occupy and take over these lands."

Labour shortage affects food costs

A labour crisis like the one forecasted could force Canadians to spend more at the grocery store.

Heather Bruce, chair of the department of Agriculture Food Nutritional Science at the University of Alberta, said COVID-19 was a taste of the possible future.

"We saw significant slowdowns in the ability to process meat. We also had a shortage of ingredients for foods as harvests were compromised. All of these things can contribute to food insecurity, increased prices, empty food shelves at retail stores," she said.

"Our immigration policies support our food security and allow our companies to be competitive not just in terms of their ability to supply food, but also to supply food at a reasonable price."

Investing in tech and people

The report suggests existing farmers do their part to avoid the labour crisis, by automating operations so it takes fewer people to work a farm.

Steven Donald is on it.

"We've spent a lot of money on technology such as auto-steer, GIS mapping and air seeders that can run full prescriptions without an operator manually telling it what to do," said the 43-year-old grain and livestock farmer near Moosomin, Sask.

This summer, Donald is also upgrading his grain cleaner, a machine that sorts grain based on weight and size, so it can run 24/7 without supervision.

"But at the same time, to manage an operation properly - doing all your weed scouting and seed timing - it boils down to so many acres per person to manage that," he said.

WATCH | Farm worker shortage looms:

That's why Donald is hiring a temporary foreign worker this summer. For the first time in his family farm's history, he can't find local, consistent help.

"Weather dictates 100 per cent what we do. Sometimes we have a very narrow window to put our crop in or take it off," he said.

"When the crunch comes on and we have to put so many acres in a short time, that's when we need the extra help. And that help is harder and harder to get."

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Canada's farming future in trouble unless 30,000 immigrants fill gap of retiring farmers, report says | CBC News

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Researchers say Canada needs 30,000 new immigrants to either start up their own farms, or take over existing ones, to avoid a looming labour crisis in the agriculture industry. Some worry, however, current programs aren't set up to attract or support that workforce.

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Author and/or Publisher: SenCA+ Magazine

Date of Publication: August 4, 2023

Brief Summary: It has recently been told that soil can be protected by the no-till practices, soil mapping, crop diversification, pesto control and carbon sequestration techniques. Soil is the key ingredient to our food, farming practices can cultivate healthier soil, soil health and climate are linked, there are unique indigenous approaches to soil health, soil is a vital resource that needs protection and a study on soil is overdue

How does is it related to this agriscience class?: One day we talked about how no-tilling practices were good for the soil.

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Committee members travelled to Guelph, Ontario, in April 2023, where they heard firsthand how soil was being protected through no-till practices, soil mapping, crop diversification, pest control and carbon sequestration techniques.

Most recently, senators joined soil scientists and advocates at the Global Soil Partnership Plenary Assembly, hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome to see how other countries are protecting and enhancing their soil, and whether those practices could be productive in a Canadian context.

Here's a look at some of the key themes that are being uncovered during this study:

1. Soil is the key ingredient in our food: It supplies the nutrients, water, oxygen and root support that plants need. Moreover, better soil means more food on less land. That's good news for remote and urban areas where farmland is scarce or disappearing, and for the growing global appetite.

2. Farming practices can cultivate healthier soil: No-till methods keeps precious micro-organisms in the soil and available for plants. Planting cover crops reduces erosion. New technology to map soil and manage water use has also helped farmers manage soil health.

3. Soil health and climate change are linked: Erosion during weather events, changing rainfall patterns and hotter temperatures all affect soil health. At the same time, well-managed soil can store tonnes of carbon, fighting back against climate change.

4. There are unique Indigenous approaches to soil health: Indigenous agriculture is built on centuries of regenerative practices in which food systems are viewed holistically.

5. Soil is a vital resource that needs protection: It takes centuries to create an inch of soil, but minutes to destroy it. Soil is under threat from urbanization, pollution and climate change. The impact of the soil stressors affects our ability to access food, the quality of our water and ecosystems, and the livelihoods of many Canadians.

6. A study on soil is overdue: Without a baseline, it is hard to know whether Canada's soil is improving or not. Knowing the state of soil today will bear fruit in the future by helping producers and policy-makers make informed decisions well-grounded in evidence.

There's more to come! Senators head to Saskatchewan and Alberta later this summer to learn more about the state of soil in Western Canada. Hearings in Ottawa will continue this fall.

Follow the committee's work at sencanada.ca/AGFO.

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Senate soil study grows deep roots as it uncovers key themes

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See the key themes uncovered by the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry as it examines how to improve and protect Canada's soils.

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Author and/or Publisher: Jodey Nurse, Canadian Politics and Public Policy

Date of Publication: May 2, 2023

Brief Summary: More extreme weather and the transformation in the length of growing season and other disasters that can take place affect the growth of the crops they're growing and the increase in temperatures from CO2 emissions also can affect the growth of the crop because if the plants don't get enough water they won't grow and eventually will die. The unpredictable weather makes the days tough because you don't know what the conditions will be like in the fields. All of these are some common climate change impacts on farmers

Will Climate Change Affect us?: Yes, eventually it will, with dying crops from dehydration, more natural disasters taking place, and other things, the crops can die and the cost of crops will go up from their usual price and we could eventually experience food insecurity.

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In the ecosystem - both literal and metaphorical - of interconnected natural, social and economic components impacted by climate change, agriculture is among the most consequential. If governments fail to adapt farming to climate change, food insecurity will become an additional driver of climate-related catastrophe. McGill University's Jodey Nurse explores the fundamentals of that risk.

Jodey Nurse

The impact of climate change on agriculture is among the most significant concerns facing Canada. Agriculture is a major contributor to the Canadian economy. However, the success of the sector has been in large part due to farmers' reliance on abundant natural resources, including fertile soils, accessible water sources, and a relatively stable climate.

But as changes in temperature and precipitation patterns, more frequent extreme weather events, and transformations in the length of growing seasons continue to develop, policymakers will have to determine what supports are needed in a sector that will undoubtedly be volatile in the years ahead. The policies and programs implemented now, and in the near future, will have far-reaching consequences, not just for Canada, but for the world.

While some science-based modelling studies have suggested that modest increases in temperature and CO2 effects may benefit the yields of some of Canada's crop production, researchers also recognize that climate projections remain unclear and that the findings of the current crop models also necessitate caution due to the unpredictability of external factors.

Indeed, recent research has failed to convincingly challenge older findings that indicate the agricultural benefits to Canada that might result from a rise in temperature are likely negligible and highly uncertain. The consensus among those studying climate change and agriculture is that the aggregate world impacts of climate change will be negative for agricultural production, and although the world's developing countries will be those most seriously harmed by global warming, developed countries like Canada will also be negatively impacted.

Agriculture is particularly vulnerable to climate change due to its sensitivity to a range of climatic events, including fluctuations in temperature. Unpredictable and shifting temperature changes can increase late frost damage if warmer temperatures lead to the premature growth of crops. This is particularly concerning for perennial crops such as fruits and berries, which require a long growing season to produce a high yield. Another concern is the increased insect pest and disease pressures that are projected to occur as temperatures rise. Although some regions in Canada may benefit from a milder climate and increased growing seasons, the risks posed by warmer temperatures are significant.

Precipitation patterns, which are also changing in Canada, are another important issue. Some regions are already experiencing more frequent droughts, while others are experiencing more intense rainfalls. Last year, British Columbia experienced a severe drought, following devastating floods just the year before. These extreme weather events only further devastated communities that have become increasingly susceptible to unpredictable weather patterns caused by climate change.

Beyond the obvious impact these events have had on agricultural production by creating water stress during periods of drought and soil erosion and nutrient loss during intense rains, the heartbreaking stories of hundreds of thousands of dead livestock discovered in the flooded regions of BC and the loss of livelihoods among generational farm families who were unable to recover from the financial costs incurred, have further underscored the terrible consequences of global warming. Indeed, extreme weather events such as floods, wildfires and storms are becoming more frequent and severe in Canada due to climate change and these events have and will continue to cause significant harm to agricultural crops, livestock, farm infrastructure, and farm families in the years to come.

Amid rising food prices and agricultural market instability, scholars have noted how the turn to greater trade liberalization and other policies since the 1980s have increased volatility in food markets.

Research into the mitigation measures that might help shield Canadian agriculture from some of the worst impacts of climate change has continued in earnest. Various measures are being pursued, including actions aimed at improving soil health and water management and the development of more resilient crop varieties, such as those bred to be more drought-tolerant, pest-resistant and cold-hardy. These will help to maintain yields in the face of changing conditions and determine which policy interventions might create more climate change-resilient agriculture infrastructures.

However, many believe that the largely voluntary mitigation measures being advocated are not enough. Organizations like Farmers for Climate Solutions (FCS) recognize that the federal government's investment in the On-Farm Climate Action Fund, which is aimed at encouraging farmers to adopt practices that can help store carbon and lower greenhouse gas emissions, is an important step towards lowering greenhouse gases and advancing more climate-resilient farms and food production practices.

But the organization also notes that Canada's investment in environmental programs in agriculture represents only a small fraction of similar investments made by the United States and the European Union on a per-acre basis. The existing funding appears insufficient to support farmers and other stakeholders in their efforts to develop, operate, and maintain sustainable farming systems.

And of course, just what practices are considered truly sustainable remains debated. Most farmers agree that actions can be taken to reduce greenhouse gases, such as reduced tillage and improved manure management, and that increased carbon sequestration can occur through practices such as cover cropping and agroforestry, but some question whether these measures are enough to alter a productionist food regime heavily reliant on fossil fuels.

Others suggest that the proposed changes to conventional farm practices will hinder efforts to meet the growing food needs of an expanding global population. And while the federal government has invested in initiatives, such as the Canadian Agri-Food Sustainability Initiative (CASI), that are meant to encourage greater sustainability and build public trust through the sharing of knowledge in the agricultural sector, the collection of data about new sustainable agriculture schemes remains underdeveloped.

For its part, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) defines a sustainable agriculture sector as one where "Canada's food system is resilient and innovative, sustains our environment and supports our economy," while ensuring that "all people in Canada are able to access a sufficient amount of safe, nutritious, and culturally diverse food" and assuring "farmers and workers in the agri-food value chain can make a good living from their work." Ultimately, AAFC proposes to create policies to achieve these goals while "maintaining competitiveness and productivity to meet growing demands for food." This is no easy task.

The challenges of addressing the impacts of climate change in Canadian agriculture are significant. These transitions in agriculture continue, despite the absence of a consensus about the very production modes and methods that should be encouraged to mitigate climate change, funding constraints, a continued lack of access to technology and information about sustainable farm practices, and the need for policy and regulatory frameworks that support these transitions.

The reality is that our global agricultural system continues to privilege the status quo. This is a system that has generally privileged productionist or industrial farming at the expense of a diversity of farming modes of production, especially in North America. High-output, high-input food and energy production systems have led to negative environmental consequences, including increased greenhouse gas emissions, but they have extracted significant social costs as well.

A mid rising food prices and agricultural market instability, scholars have noted how the turn to greater trade liberalization and other policies since the 1980s have increased volatility in food markets. Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security and Sustainability Jennifer Clapp contends that today's food crisis is just one of a series of major crises in the last 50 years that have signalled that as "more people source their food from the global food industrial system, they become increasingly vulnerable to shocks that have worldwide impact."

T he National Farmers Union of Canada has pointed out that both a climate crisis and a farm crisis exist because of farm and food systems that have exploited agricultural lands and farmers by requiring high operating costs while providing extremely low margins and net incomes, the consequences of which have been the "expulsion of farm families from the land."

As significant numbers of Canadian farmers are set to retire in the next decade, calls have been issued for tens of thousands of newcomers to fill the gap in the farm labour sector. The fact remains, however, that fewer and fewer Canadians will participate in farm work if the chronic financial instability and stress inherent in the existing agricultural system continues. Increasing land values and growing farmland inequality, industry consolidation, aging farm populations, and the need for farmers to seek off-farm work in order to earn a living wage, are all indicators that the system needs reform. To address climate change, Canada must address these additional factors if a truly sustainable agricultural sector can emerge.

As the world puts more and more pressure on its agricultural systems in the years ahead, farmers will be the ones tasked with feeding the global population under increasingly difficult climatic circumstances. Supporting sustainable farming practices -- environmental, social, and economic -- will require a significant departure from the status quo. Whether governments will be willing to make that departure remains to be seen.
Contributing Writer Jodey Nurse is a faculty lecturer at the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada at McGill University.

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Farming as Weathervane: Climate Change and Canadian Agriculture - Policy Magazine

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The impact of climate change on agriculture is among the most significant concerns facing Canada. Agriculture is a major contributor to the Canadian economy.

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Author and/or Publisher: Colin Butler, CBC

Date of Publication: May 22, 2023

Brief Summary: Farmers in Ontario are fighting about the rules to being loosen around the farmland protection in its province, a move which farmers say that people will potentially give people the right to build houses on farmland, which Canada already has a limited amount of farmland which will make the land even more limited. They fear that the bill can make the farmland permanently removed

What is interesting about this article: What I found interesting about this article is that they would even try and make a bill like this, while Canada's farmland is already limited, this bill would make it even more limited.

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Farmers push back against Ontario bill that would put more homes on prime farmland | CBC News

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New provincial legislation that would loosen farmland protection is getting a cold reception from Ontario farming groups, which are urging the government to abandon proposed changes that would see more homes built on prime farmland.

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PEI on Track to Lose Half It's Farmland by 2050

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PEI on Track to Lose Half It's Farmland by 2050

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Author and/or Publisher: Alex MacIsaac

Date of Publication: September 21, 2023

Brief Summary: The Island will lose about half of its farmland by 2050. The province has already lost 12.3% of its farmland from between 2016 to 2021. The farmland went from 260,000 hectares and dropped to 200,000 hectares. If we don't protect it we will experience significant drops in economic performance for the Island. Big companies like Cavendish Farms, ADL and Atlantic Beef productions require a certain level of raw products just to stay in business so this is affecting their businesses.

How does this relate to PEI agriculture?: Bigger businesses could go out of business by not meeting the quota of raw products and its PEI farmland we are losing

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Prince Edward Island is losing farmland at a dangerous rate, an official with the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture warns.

The Island will lose half of its farmland by 2050 if more action is not taken to preserve it, executive director Donald Killorn said before the province's Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability on Thursday.

"This is Prince Edward Island's most valuable natural resource," Killorn said. "What we have here, how we produce economic impact, is with the land."

The province lost 12.3 per cent of its farmland between 2016 and 2021, the federation of agriculture said.

Killorn said that between those years, the volume of farmland fell from 260,000 hectares to just over 200,000 - a rate seen only once before, during the 1970s.

Farmland loss has "dramatic" spinoffs on the province's economy because of its impact on farm production and the facilities processing the product created, he said.

Killorn said that large processors like Cavendish Farms, Amalgamated Dairies Limited and Atlantic Beef Products require a certain level of raw product to stay in business.

"Maintaining farmland isn't just about ensuring that our farmers have enough land, but it's about ensuring that our economic impact remains what it is," he said.

"If we don't protect it, we will see significant drops in the economic performance of the province."

The continued success of the tourism industry also hinges on how farmers maintain their land, Killorn said. He said that when tourists see rolling green fields and pastures filled with livestock it's a "big part" of their experience on the Island.

Maintaining agricultural land also plays a role in taking care of the environment. Killorn said the province's net-zero emission and biodiversity goals are dependent on farmers implementing best practices on their lands.

"When we lose farmland, we lose those environmental co-benefits."

Federation suggests moratorium

The federation said subdivisions and development often drive farmland loss. It said adopting a subdivision development moratorium in areas without an official land-use plan could curb losses until a provincial plan is created.

Farmers have previously told CBC News residential and commercial development has put them in a hard position, saying they have less land to work with and that farmland has grown way more expensive.

"For a beef farmer to justify paying that amount for an acre of land, it doesn't really make any sense. It kind of puts the beef farmer at a disadvantage," Dennis Hogan, chair of the P.E.I. Cattle Producers Association, said back in February.

"Some of this land is being turned into subdivisions, and they obviously can pay more money for that land because there's more profit in selling it for a house lot than growing crops to feed cattle on it."

We think the provincial government should be the one making decisions. - Donald Killorn, P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture

The provincial government is still working on an official P.E.I. land-use plan. The federation said it would like provincial authorities to have decision-making power on how forests and farmlands are used.

"Farmland isn't something that just benefits a municipality," Killorn said. "It's a very important economic driver for the whole province. And as such, we think the provincial government should be the one making decisions."

A plan like this would grow municipalities by disincentivizing development outside of municipal boundaries, Killorn said, adding there is a "serious long-term cost" to the rural-residential sprawl.

Killorn says creating denser and more populated municipalities is "the only way our province can accommodate 200,000 Islanders alongside a thriving agricultural industry."

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P.E.I. on track to lose half its farmland by 2050, says federation of agriculture | CBC News

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Officials with the federation told provincial MLAs population growth and lower taxes in rural areas have led to too much development outside municipalities, cutting into farmland.

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Rate of Farmland loss on PEI more than Triples

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Rate of Farmland loss on PEI more than Triples

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Author and/or Publisher: Kevin Yarr

Date of Publication: February 6, 2023

Brief Summary: The loss of land has been increasing at a rate that PEI hasn't seen in 50 years. Farmers fear there isn't enough being done to prevent it from rapidly declining. This is an issue all over Canada, but PEI is seeing it big time. If this continues PEI will lose half its farmland by 2050. Land that someone was selling was bought by someone to turn into subdivisions.

What did you find interesting about this article?: I found it interesting how PEI is being affected the most out of any province.

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Rate of farmland loss on P.E.I. more than triples | CBC News

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The loss of farmland on P.E.I. is accelerating at a rate not seen in 50 years — and farmers fear there’s not enough being done to rein in the rapid changes.

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PEI Scientist Challenges Farmers to Guess the Yield of Potato Field Grown Without Fertilizer

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PEI Scientist Challenges Farmers to Guess the Yield of Potato Field Grown Without Fertilizer

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Author and/or Publisher: Nancy Russel, CBC

Date of Publication: October 25, 2023

Brief Summary: A scientist challenged island farmers to guess the yield of a potato fields growth with using only fertilizer that was left over from last years season. Scott Anderson, a science co-ordinator at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's research station Harrington, his team planted a field specifically for this challenge, calling it the "Plowdown Challenge". The field looked better the month prior, where it wasn't looking the greatest.

How Does This Relate to PEI Agriculture?: If people can use less fertilizer on their crops, that will leave us with fewer run offs, causing fish kills in nearby rivers and it can also help us contain a healthier ecosystem for other animals living around the areas.

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A P.E.I. scientist has issued a challenge to Island farmers: Guess the yield of a potato field grown using only fertilizer left over from last year's crop.

Scott Anderson is science co-ordinator at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's research station Harrington, where his team planted a field specifically for what they are calling the "Plowdown Challenge."

While the challenge has a fun element to it, Anderson said it also has a serious goal.

"We were trying to come up with something that would demonstrate to producers that you can actually grow a decent crop of potatoes with reduced fertilizer," he said.

It's been a month since we last posted photos of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AAFC_Plowdown_Challenge?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AAFC_Plowdown_Challenge</a> , the crop is coming along really well now compared to last month. Looks pretty good for zero N <a href="https://t.co/GJKmcOSOgb">pic.twitter.com/GJKmcOSOgb</a>
&mdash; @peiscooter

"We've been doing a ton of research on that for years now, but the adoption of that always seems to be an issue.... We just wanted to come up with a different way of demonstrating how reducing fertilizer, you can still get a crop."

Leftover nutrients

The field for the challenge was planted with red clover last summer, which was plowed into the soil, followed by a cover crop of barley and tillage radish last fall.

In the spring, the crew planted the Mountain Gem potato variety in the field without adding any fertilizer other than what was left in the soil from the cover crops.

"That's part of the goal here, too, is to use some of the residual nutrients in the soil from previous plow-down crops," Anderson said.

"That's something that growers are actually using a lot more of these days ... and that just gives you extra credits in the bank when it comes to nitrogen, especially."

Anderson has posted photos and videos on his social media, telling farmers about the challenge. Now, he's hoping to hear their predictions of what the yield per acre will be.

He said, so far, the guesses have been lower than what he himself expects.

"People who have guessed are farmers who've been doing this a long time. So they kind of looked at what we had here before, and what we were doing," Anderson said.

"The guesses we've been having are probably in the mid-200 weight per acre. But based on what I saw today, maybe, it might be a little higher than that. But we'll find out shortly."

Anderson said using less fertilizer has other benefits for the environment - and for a farm's bottom line.

"You look at the price of fertilizer these days, it's crazy expensive. So if you can reduce your usage on the farm, there's many benefits."

'Surprising' results

Roger Henry worked with Anderson on the Plowdown Challenge and was keeping a close eye on the yield as the potatoes were harvested.

"I was quite surprised, actually. There was actually some 10-ounce potatoes [283 grams] here, which are the ones that will give you a bonus at the Cavendish Farms contract," Henry said.

"I didn't expect to see too many of them, but I was surprised that the amount of 10-ounces that were coming up, pleasantly surprised. It's not going to be a bumper yield or anything like that, but this is just to demonstrate what the plow-down and a good soil can add to the crop."

Henry said he hopes the challenge helps get that message to a larger audience.

"It's also not just for the farmers: I think it's good for the public to learn the value of a good soil," Henry said.

"The prosperity of an area is related to the quality of the soil, and it's important for us to nurture and maintain our soils."

Henry and Anderson said they will be taking yield predictions until the end of November. The actual yield - and a winner - will be announced in early December.

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P.E.I. scientist challenges farmers to guess the yield of potato field grown without fertilizers | CBC News

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A scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has issued a challenge to Island farmers: Guess the yield of a potato field grown using only fertilizer left over from last year's crop.

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Nova Scotia Farmers Worried About Water Use Amid Dry Spring Season

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Nova Scotia Farmers Worried About Water Use Amid Dry Spring Season

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Author and/or Publisher: Kathleen McKenna, CBC

Date of publication: May 12, 2023

Brief Summary: The season is deathly dry in Nova Scotia and farmers are afraid to use water on their crops in fear of using up all the water that remains, even though there is still plenty of water left in the ground. They categorize Truro and parts of the Annapolis Valley as abnormally dry for the season. The pattern of this dry weather has been going on since February of this year.

How is this article important?: It is important because it lets locals know that farmers are stressed and they also could possibly not produce enough crops as they should be this year because of the drought and their fear of using that water on their crops as it is potential they could run the wells dry

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A Nova Scotia farming group is concerned about the amount of water being used for agriculture this spring, but a provincial hydrologist says underground water levels are normal for this time of year.

The current conditions have prompted Agriculture Canada to classify much of Nova Scotia as "abnormally dry," and categorize Truro and part of the Annapolis Valley as having a moderate drought.

"It's getting to a point now where things are really drying out," said Allan Melvin, a sixth-generation farmer from the Annapolis Valley and president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture.

"We're seeing, certainly on horticulture-type crops, a lot of irrigation running which is a little bit abnormal, quite abnormal I should say, for May."

In a report about current drought conditions, Agriculture Canada stated that as of April 30, conditions across the Atlantic region have been "significantly dry this month, continuing the pattern of dryness since February."

"Although an early month storm brought some moisture to the region, impacts from the significant dryness started to show up in the form of grass fires, significant snow melt and low streamflows," Agriculture Canada reported.

Along with parts of southeastern New Brunswick and much of Prince Edward Island, central parts of Nova Scotia only received between 40 and 60 per cent of normal precipitation in the last three months. In some areas of Nova Scotia, this past April was the driest on record, the department reported.

But John Dragg, a hydrologist from the Department of Natural Resources, says water levels beneath the ground are still at normal levels.

"The water table is still relatively high, pretty close to normal for what we would expect this time of year," he said.

Farmers spending more

Melvin said low rainfall is creating higher costs for farmers.

"The financial burden also starts to add up so that all the fuel costs and time and labour costs to keep the water running is not insignificant," he said.

"If this continues it's going to certainly put a strain on farmers, I'll say physically, mentally and financially."

While Dragg said the water levels are normal, he cautioned that climate change has created more extreme weather events.

"We do seem to be seeing more frequent droughts and floods in the last 20 years," he said.
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Nova Scotia farmers worried about water use amid dry spring | CBC News

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Dry weather across the province is concerning farmers, but has yet to impact the water table.

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New Brunswick Agricultur Industry Not Immune to Farmer Shortage

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New Brunswick Agricultur Industry Not Immune to Farmer Shortage

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Author and/or Publisher: Robert Lothain

Date of Publication: April 15, 2023

Brief Summary: In the past most farmers would see their farming equipment and everything getting passed down to the younger generation to continue the farming and being able to pass it down to the next generation when they are done, but now it is very uncommon and no one wants to work in the agriculture industry anymore.

How does this affect PEI agriculture: All over Canada, grown food gets shipped all over, some people think certain foods grown in certain soils tastes better and this could leave people with shortages of their favourite foods and eventually it can even lead to food insecurity.

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In the coming years, New Brunswick will have to institute changes to ensure the agriculture industry has adequate compensation and strong policies to avoid significant consequences, according to producers.

As it stands, David Walker, the co-owner of Sunset Strawberry U-Pick near Fredericton, believes most producers have to be in the sector for passion rather than financial gain.

"If you go back for the last 50 years, successive governments have really not put policies in place to encourage agriculture," Walker told Global News on Saturday.

Walker is no stranger to the agriculture industry, as he was raised on a dairy farm and previously worked in the New Brunswick Department of Agriculture Aquaculture and Fisheries.

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In past, many long-time farming families would see their lands and equipment passed down through generations, Walker said, but that no longer seems to be the case.

"I know farmers in this province have discouraged, absolutely discouraged, their children from going into agriculture because they said it was a low-paying labour intensive activity," Walker said, standing next to a raspberry bush.

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A recent report released by RBC'S Climate Action Institute indicated that by 2033, 40 per cent of Canadian farm operators will have retired. It also predicted the sector will be short about 24,000 general farm, nursery and greenhouse workers.

To Walker, much of the data in the report, outlining a demographic crunch, seems consistent with New Brunswick.

"Until there's money in agriculture, why would you go into it?" he posed.

For the National Farmers Union in New Brunswick, the RBC findings were "completely unsurprising" given the statistical trends over the last decade.

"What we see most in New Brunswick is farms that have been family farms for many generations and a career that was passed down to the next generation... That's not happening the way it used to," said executive director Suzanne Fournier.

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The report stated 66 per cent of Canadian producers do not have a succession plan in place.

Due to the changing labour market, Fournier said there's a need to shift the "public perception" of farming to show it's more than simply "back-breaking work."

She added programs must be created to ensure New Brunswickers who want to enter the agriculture industry can do so without breaking the bank.

"In many cases, we're talking about multi-year investments," Fournier said.

Referencing a fruit or berry startup, she said it takes "years to establish and produce fruit," which means farmers are left on the hook for three to five years.

As for Walker, while there is no quick-fix to the challenges ahead for the agriculture industry, he hopes consumers can find a better understanding of the role the industry plays.

"In this province we are extremely vulnerable in terms of our food supply," Walker said.

"When our food system starts to fail, that's when we are going to see serious problems in this country."

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New Brunswick agriculture industry not immune to farmer shortage - New Brunswick | Globalnews.ca

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"When our food system starts to fail, that's when we are going to see serious problems in this country," said David Walker, a co-owner of the Sunset Strawberry U-Pick.

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Author and/or Publisher: Charles Brockman

Date of Publication: June 23, 2023

Brief Summary: Canada is losing the equivalent to 3 farms a day. The Government is giving up parts of farmland as it has a potential for possible homes, subdivisions and apartments to be built on them. This has been caused by Bill 97, a bill making it ok to buy farmland from farmers and building homes for people on them.

How does this affect PEI agriculture?: If people start buying farmland to build homes, subdivisions or apartments on, PEI's limited amount of farmland will be even more limited then it already is and that makes farmers unable to grow as many crops as they are able to, they should only be able to buy farmland that is no longer able to be used for some reason.

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The Ontario government is giving up parts of the Greenbelt for development, citing the province's housing crisis.

But last month, a group of farmers produced a joint statement that effectively halted one proposal from Bill 97 that would have allowed new kinds of residential and urban development on prime farmland.

"Ontario boasts some of Canada's richest and most fertile farmland and these policy changes put the sustainability of that land and the food system it provides at great risk," the statement read.

Peggy Brekveld, the first signature on the joint statement and president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), has long been critical of development on farmland.

In an op-ed for the Toronto Star last year, she cited statistics from the Census of Agriculture about the country's rapidly diminishing farmland, including the fact that Ontario is losing an average of nine family farms a week.

Using the same formula, Canada can be said to have lost the equivalent of seven small farms a day for 20 years.

Arable land - that is, land suitable for crops - is a limited resource in Canada. According to the Census of Agriculture, every province has seen decades of decline in total farm area.

Nationally, the total reported area is down eight per cent in the last two decades - from 68 million hectares in 2001 to 62 million in 2021.

But does urban development alone account for the millions of hectares Canadian farmers are losing?

CBC News has compiled the data in six charts to show what is really happening to this invaluable national resource, and what it means for the future.

The recent joint statement by the OFA specifically opposed new kinds of housing development on "prime agricultural areas." Those areas are classified, by Canada's Land Inventory, as having soil with "moderate-to-no limitations for agriculture."

But the Census of Agriculture cannot account for soil quality. It is a voluntary poll that asks farmers to self-classify and account for the area of their farms, leaving room for human error.

Other datasets paint a slightly different picture of the Canadian agricultural landscape. But the downward trend remains clear.

Using a variety of methods, including geospatial analysis, researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) calculated the area across Canada that they classify as "cropland" was 46 million hectares in 2021, down seven per cent, from 50 million hectares, in 2001.

Reasons for conversion

Canada's cities are responsible for the majority of arable land converted to urban settlements.

Reports from Statistics Canada comparing surveys from 1971 to 2011 showed an estimated 642,100 hectares of agricultural land were lost to new settlements around Canada's largest metropolitan areas.

The largest conversion from arable land to settlement happened in the Golden Horseshoe area around Toronto.

During that 40-year period, 85 per cent of all urban settlement in the Golden Horseshoe was built on once-prime agricultural land.

By contrast, much less prime land was lost around B.C. cities - thanks in part to provincial land protections introduced in 1973. But what was lost still amounted to 26 per cent of the available prime land B.C. had originally.

Darrel Cerkowniak, a physical scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, said some conversion is harder to take into account.

For example, as farmers make crop rotations, wooded land once used for grazing might be reported only as forest to the census. Similarly, the census doesn't help specifically identify land that was once leased from the Crown, adopted by public parks or turned over to treaty land.

Some arable land, AAFC reported, may also be abandoned or become flooded or re-naturalized.

Still, land conversion only accounts for a fraction of the reported loss. Some farmers say another factor may be responsible.

The issue of consolidation

Along with the decline in farm area, most provinces have seen an even more rapid decline in individual farms - down 23 per cent in the 20-year period.

In the same period, the size of farms increased. In 2001, the average Canadian farm was 274 hectares in size; that number reached 327 hectares in 2021.

Based on the new average, Canada can be said to have lost the equivalent of three full farms per day for 20 years.

Census data shows farmers are turning more of their fallow, pasture and "other" land into production. That means fewer farmers are operating more of the diminishing farmland more thoroughly.

According to a from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), what is left of Canadian farmland is becoming concentrated in the hands of bigger and bigger businesses.

That concentration is most dramatic in the Prairie provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta), which make up 70 per cent of the country's farmland.

In 2016, giant Prairie farms larger than 2,000 hectares - just six per cent of farms overall - owned nearly a third of all farmland, and brought in a third of all revenues and net income.

Nettie Wiebe, a professor of ethics at the University of Saskatchewan and an organic farmer with "deep roots" in the Prairies, said a lot of land in her area disappears under urban sprawl. But increased investor ownership may account for why less and less farmland is reported.

The census is "not landing on the desk of the person who fills out the actual productive capacity," said Wiebe, "[but] rather in some corporate office in Toronto, where it's part of an investment portfolio."

Farmland has become exponentially more expensive due to low interest rates and increased speculation and competition. A report from Farm Credit Canada (FCC), a Crown corporation that monitors land sales, showed the average price per hectare quadrupled in 20 years.

"Equitable landholding is being replaced by concentrated control of farmland," the CCPA report says. "Gaining access to farmland is increasingly difficult, thus effectively stifling the possibility of farming as a career choice for young Canadians."

Higher prices and an aging population mean that land is passing into more passive ownership, Wiebe says.

"[Corporate investors] don't have to worry about, 'Are you actually going to be able to grow enough wheat on this acre, or are you actually going to be able to graze enough cattle on this pasture to actually be able to make the payments?'" she said. "They don't have to worry about that, because it's more speculative than that - and their financial well-being isn't determined by their productive capacity."

Wiebe said consolidation and intensive farming practices will actually degrade arable land past the point of usability.

"We're just not going to continue to be able to pour as much chemical into the land and extract as much product out of it without paying a longer-term ecological price," she said.

The ecological price

In addition to growing food, agriculture helps slow climate change by storing carbon in vegetation and soil. AAFC says 10 per cent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions also come from crop and livestock production; as production intensifies, there is less and less farmland available to absorb the emissions.

When farmland is lost to sprawl, it is unlikely to ever recover. Among other effects, "sealing" soil under urban development severely reduces its potential for carbon capture, groundwater absorption and supporting wildlife.

Just as urban sprawl pushes into farmland, farmland pushes into natural wetland and forests. Data from Environment and Climate Change Canada showed forest land becoming cropland much faster than cropland becoming urban settlements over the last two decades.

Increased production on less land also changes the price, variety and sustainability of the goods that farmers can produce, Wiebe said.

Culturally, she argued, something equally important is also lost.

"The land isn't just a resource. It's the place we live. It's where we're located. It's where we're rooted. It's our neighbourhood," said Wiebe.

She's apprehensive about the diminishing land and the changes that come with it, but she remains optimistic.

"We have a lot to learn, and we have a lot of innovation and a lot of new things to understand," said Wiebe. "It seems to me that there's a generation of young people who are prepared to think critically about that direction."

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Six charts show the gradual disappearance of farmland in Canada | CBC News

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CBC News has compiled data on Canada's prime farmland in six charts to show what is happening to an invaluable national resource - and what it means for the future.