With soaring farmland values and an aging farmer demographic, Alberta is facing a farm renewal crisis. The average age of farmers is 57 years old (Statistics Canada, 2021) and 40% of farmers will retire by 2033 (RBC, 2024). At the same time, a growing number of people want to farm, but face significant barriers accessing farmland.
“Land in Hand” supports farmers to access land through a pilot Alberta Land Matching Program. The program provides personalized land matching services to farmers looking for land to start or expand their farm, and landholders interested in finding someone to farm their land. Land matching services help farmers to build viable businesses, which results in more vibrant and resilient rural communities. The project will also work with and support real estate professionals to better understand the needs of tomorrow’s farmers. Training and education around land access for farmers will lead to opportunities for growth in the rural real estate industry.
Amount Funded
$180,000
Year Funded
2025
Funding Priority
Land: Protect property value and support sustainable land use recognizing all real estate assets involve land.
Topic
Contributor
Young Agrarians
Young Agrarians (YA) is a farmer to farmer educational resource network for new and young ecological, organic and regenerative farmers in Canada.
