New farmers are important for several reasons: - The number of farms and total acres in farming have declined significantly in Ontario over the past century. The number of farm families has decreased by 75%. - The average age of farmers is increasing, with projections showing a 37% decline in the number of farmers over the next 25 years due to retirement. - The population is growing and there will be more people to feed, increasing the need for more farmers.

1. Are new farmers important?

2. 0
5,000,000
10,000,000
15,000,000
20,000,000
25,000,000
Total Acres Farmed in Ontario:
1921-2011
Change - approx. 10 million acres since 1921
- 20% change from 1971 to present

3. 0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
1921 1931 1941 1951 1956 1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011
Number of Ontario Farms - 1921-2011
Source: Statistics Canada: Census of Agriculture
75% of farm families gone…

4. 2006 2011 2021* 2031* 25 year
Change
Under
35
7070 6130 6130 6130
35-54 40280 31830 22045 17153 -57%
Over 55 35065 36885 34358 28201 -20%
Total 82315 74845 62533 51484 -37%
Projected Farmers in Ontario
* 2021 and 2031 are derived, based on assumptions that farmers begin to
farm at age 25, retire at age 75, and are evenly distributed within age groups
Source: Statistics Canada – 2006 and 2011

5. How many more eaters?
50%19%

6. Who are new farmers?
they come from farming and non-farming
backgrounds;
they are young and they are mid-life career
changers/early retirees
they are increasingly culturally and ethnically
diverse in urban areas
they bring a wide range of goals, experiences
and enterprise preferences to their farming
decision

7. New Farmer Training Survey 2009/10

8. Demographics of 432 respondents
• half grew up in urban environment
• 27% grew up on a farm, only 8% now
farming with family
• 31% second career
• >70% with post-secondary qualification
• evenly spread across ages 20 to over 55

9. What are their Challenges?
Training
Stable access to land
Capital
…….depending on who they are