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

It was a Netflix documentary Michael Nantais watched during the early months of the pandemic that cemented his love of sustainable farming.

Nantais, who grew up just outside of Montreal in Pointe-Claire, started experimenting in his mother's backyard— growing kale, cucumbers, and zucchinis for the first time more than four years ago. 

"I didn't really know much at that time," the now 26-year-old said. "I was buying seedlings and planting them."

Then came the rush of changes to his life and career plans.

Nantais switched from an economics degree at university to a biology program to learn more about plants. He focused on learning everything about farming — first from a plant soil lab and later at a vertical farm in Montreal. Vertical farming stacks crops vertically in layers, typically in an indoor setup, which allows farmers to control lighting, humidity, and temperature. It's gaining popularity, especially in urban areas.

"Was my mind set on vertical farming when I switched to biology? The answer is no," Nantais recalled. 

"I was open-minded ... I just wanted to learn," he said.

Younger Canadians may not own the farmland or heavy machinery needed to launch traditional agriculture careers, but they are equipped with technology. That's changing how they get their foot in the door — even when they don't come from farm families.

Traditionally, many agriculture students came from rural areas and planned to take over a farm eventually, said Jay Steeves, dean of Werklund School of Agriculture & Technology at Olds College in Alberta.

Now, more students from urban areas are joining agricultural programs at schools, and graduates are finding niche areas of the field. 

"It's not just that broad acre farming with large operations," said Steeves."We're starting to see indoor agriculture, the idea of produce and food creation for a growing population." 

Steeves recalled a school project a year ago when a student grew lettuce in their dorm room and was able to control different environments, moisture and light intensity remotely. 

"That idea of a student or an individual in a small, little dorm room with a growing operation the size of a mini-fridge is part of agriculture at this point in time," Steeves said, "and is now producing food that can be used and consumed by anyone on the planet."

Innovation is key for aspiring farmers, said Craig Klemmer, principal economist at Farm Credit Canada. Starting small could be the first step.

"With the changing face of the Canadian population, it's creating new opportunities for markets," he said. For instance, there's been a growing demand for sheep and goat meat, which can be started small and scaled up.

Others are looking into more niche areas of the sector, he said — growing herbs or working in sustainable farming — which need fewer capital investments and resources to get operations going.

"When you look at the opportunities, it's more on the smaller niche," Klemmer said. "Finding a new and creative solution, making some partnerships would be good ways to start." 

Nantais moved to Toronto last year to set up his own vertical farm business with an investment from his uncle but ran into a logistical issue: finding an appropriate 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 operates the farm as a partner and plans to be there for a while. "Hopefully, we can expand, increase our supply and start selling more of it."

Exploring niche areas of farming comes at a time when the costs of farmland and farm machines have gone up exponentially over the years.

The price of farmland in southern Ontario has gone up from an average of $2,616 per hectare in 1996 to approximately $23,100 per hectare in 2023, according to Farm Credit Canada's historical farmland values report. Other provinces have seen similar price jumps.

"The reality, if we look at traditional crop production in Canada at large scale, they are very high barriers to entry," Klemmer said. "It would require quite a bit of capital to make those investments." 

That means not everyone is in a position to own a facility or run farmland, no matter the size. 

Steeves said many young graduates from the agricultural college are pivoting to areas such as crop science and working with larger producers to help them become more efficient.

"A farmer isn't your classic picture, (a) person standing in the field, getting their hands dirty working with animals," Steeves said.

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

"It's not so much operating and owning but doing more of the consulting for production," Steeves said.

Resiliency can go a long way for a young farmer. Just like any other job, Steeves said, aspiring farmers need soft skills such as networking and the ability to move around for jobs. 

Despite rising interest in farming and a growing culture of grow-your-own-food, there remains a shortage in labour supply in the farming sector.

As a large number of Canadian farmers head into retirement, fewer young people are stepping up to take on those roles. About 61 per cent of Canadian farm operators were 55 and older, according to a 2021 Statistics Canada report. Meanwhile, the number of farmers under 35 fell to 8.6 per cent as of 2021, compared with 11.5 per cent in 2001. 

"I think we still need more people," Steeves said. 

He said there's 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 in order to be involved," Steeves said. 

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