It’s becoming more common for young people to struggle to get into farming, says Patti Durand, agriculture transition specialist with Farm Credit Canada.

“The change in land prices in the past 10 years alone really moved the dial in terms of what it costs to purchase land which is such a critical piece to any type of farm, whether it’s grain or livestock production. And so by moving that dial, what maybe was difficult before is almost impossible now.”

In the Humboldt area, for example, the price of land has jumped to more than $2,000 per acre - or even $3,000 - from $1,000, depending on its quality, she said. In some cases the quality isn’t even a factor - the land is simply in demand and close to other big farms.

It’s also not easy for children of farmers to take over the business if the parents aren’t ready to retire - an issue FCC has highlighted. Transitioning the business from one generation to the next is a once - maybe twice - in a lifetime experience, so feeling a bit lost should be expected, Durand said.

“I see a danger with farms, that if they don’t communicate and just assume that everybody is on the same page, sometimes they can get further down the path in terms of years and then realize what they want is impossible. So talking right now and sharing their vision about where they want to go matters in order to make it happen,” Durand said.

Farming became more profitable over the past decade and now offers a reasonable income in addition to the quality of life that comes with farm living, Durand said. Fifteen to 20 years ago, many families didn’t feel farming offered that opportunity.

Durand points to Statistics Canada data from last year showing that while the number of farmers in Canada dropped since 2011 and the average age of farmers rose, the proportion of operators under 35 edged up for the first time since 1991.

Only one in 12 operations reported having a formal succession plan, the agency says.