Matchmaking farmland to new farmers
by Kate Procter
The struggle to retain farmland for agriculture is a global issue, as multiple uses compete for land that is well-suited for many purposes. Farm succession is one piece of this puzzle that can be complicated – both for new farmers wanting to start their farming career, and for retiring farmers who do not have a successor.
But the Ontario Farmland Trust’s (OFT) new Farmland Access Program, just in the beginning stages, aims to provide an innovative tool to help with this complex issue. The OFT is the only charitable organization in the province with a sole focus of preserving land for agriculture. The OFT stated mission is “To protect and preserve Ontario farmlands and associated agricultural, natural, and cultural landscapes of food production for the benefit of Ontarians today and future generations.”
Joshua Noiseux is the Farmland Access Program Manager for the OFT and is leading the new program. He is well positioned for the role, having experienced the struggle of getting into farming himself over the past few years. He emphasizes the importance of keeping productive land producing, which is the focus of the OFT.
In the past, conservation easements have been the only tool the OFT used to preserve agricultural land for farming.
Conservation easements work by restricting the non-agricultural uses in perpetuity by placing the easement on the title of the property. Staff monitor land with easements to ensure that the agreement stays in place and the landowners are supported.
The new Farmland Access Program still uses conservation easements but combines this with ownership. The program serves three purposes, explains Noiseux. First, land protection: the OFT would be able to protect the land by owning the property. The Bourgeois farm near Tiverton is the first ever donation of farmland to the OFT and a pilot for the program. Anyone who has travelled to Inverhuron Provincial Park would recognize the farm across from the park, The Philosopher’s Wool Company, which the Rural Voice covered in the August 2024 issue.
The OFT is honouring that vision by maintaining the Philosopher’s Wool business, protecting the unique ecological features of the farm, and providing opportunities for new farmers to get a start. The farm is a busy place, with community garden plots, community and education events, and demonstration plots.
The second purpose of the program is to provide an opportunity for farmers with a strong business plan to lease – and even potentially own – land to get their start. It is no secret that with farmland priced increasingly out of reach for beginning farmers, it is almost impossible to purchase land with the proceeds from the farm operation, explains Noiseux.
The final part of the program addresses the issue of farmers who do not have a successor. Noiseux describes it like a match-making service to help landowners and beginning farmers connect, providing landowners the option of knowing their land will remain in agricultural use.
While it may be tempting to think taking a lower price for land to protect its future use is something people do out of good conscience, Noiseux explains that it often also makes good business sense. There may be some scenarios where there are tax advantages and there could be a net benefit to families or estates who are selling their farms.
“It is not just for feeling good, there could also be a net benefit,” says Noiseux. “Some people want to protect their legacy rather than have it on the open market,” he adds.
In support of this new initiative, the OFT has several irons in the fire. They are working on finalizing internal documentation that would help evaluate properties and tenants, they have several properties in the pipeline that may be donated or purchased, and they have a list of farmers who are interested in land opportunities.
Donations have been increasing in recent years, and as more people become aware of the OFT’s works, this could become a bigger source of income. In addition, there are several different funding streams including grants, foundations, and private individuals. Uncharacteristically large donations have played a role in this exciting new phase, allowing the OFT to replicate the pilot project on other properties.
They have also had other conservation organizations that own land express interest in what they are doing. The concept has been discussed in theory for decades, but the actual program has been developed over the past year and a half. While this is a big expansion for the OFT, Noiseux explains that land trusts often own the land they protect and it is not uncommon.
“Owning is just one way of protecting – but our mandate is not to be landowners, eventually the land would go to the people farming it,” he explains. Another pilot project under investigation involves three steps: acquire, protect, and sell. After adding a conservation easement, the land could be passed on to the farmer that was working it, there could be a lease to own arrangement, or simply a conventional mortgage. “We want to help farmers access the land while protecting it,” explains Noiseux.
Finding creative ways for keeping the land in agriculture while helping the people who farm it is beneficial for everyone. It is not enough just to preserve land – it must be done in such a way as to enhance the overall health of the landscape and allow people to make a living. Protecting farmland includes protecting the farmer. To learn more about the OFT’s exciting initiatives, visit their website at ontariofarmlandtrust.ca ◊