Research and Policy Paper – Bring Food Home 2017 – New and Young Farmers
The Farming and Farmland Network cooperated with student researchers Christopher Kelly-Bisson and Sara Epp throughout 2017 to create policy position papers, in order to identify gaps, set direction and strength the Ontario food system. The following paper is on new and young farmers.
Overview: Three challenges, and their contributing factors, have been identified for new and young farmers in Ontario:
1. Access to Farmland: growing farm size, increasing value of farmland, lack of succession plans (especially to new entrants), less land available for rent
2. Capital: increasing value of farmland, requirement of a business plan, lack of funding opportunities, onerous funding applications, increasing cost of equipment and training
3. Knowledge and Training: lack guidance for business plans, lack of paid internships, broad scope of knowledge required (technical skills, marketing, production, human resources and financial)