He grows fresh vegetables such as cauliflower and romaine lettuce on his farm, which is about 200 hectares. Over time, he has made a succession plan, outlining the details of how his farm will be passed on. But Melvin, who is 67, is in the vast minority. According to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, only about eight percent of farms in Nova Scotia have a succession plan. The province also has the country’s oldest farmers with an average age of 58.2 years. Melvin said these statistics are alarming. “It tells us that in five to 10 years, there will be a significant retirement or transition of our existing farmers into retirement, which will leave a huge gap in our manpower capacity to manage these farms,” he said. Melvin’s farm grows vegetables such as cauliflower, green onions and lettuce. (Mark Crosby/ CBC) Melvin said older farmers are often in denial about aging and the obligation to pass the farm on to the next generation. There can be awkward discussions about family dynamics and the financial viability of the farm. It can be a messy situation if a farmer dies without a succession plan. “The family that’s left behind is left with a can of worms of legality and tax issues and possibly interpersonal dynamics that are difficult to sort out,” Melvin said. “It puts everyone in an even more stressful situation than it really should be.” Philip Keddy agrees that finances are one of the biggest challenges for farmers when making a succession plan. As a produce grower in the Annapolis Valley, he has seen firsthand how farmers’ profit margins are shrinking and supply costs are rising. Philip Kendy said inflation and rising supply costs were making long-term farm planning even more difficult. (Submitted by Philip Keddy) “Until there’s some stability around the price and it goes back to the farm and the farmer, it’s hard for them to imagine that their kids might be part of this business,” Keddy said. “And maybe that’s why you see older farmers like that staying on the farm so long is because the younger generation doesn’t see the return coming to the farm and they’re not as willing to take on that role as quickly.” He said the agricultural industry knows succession is a problem. In the 2021 census, the total number of farms in Nova Scotia was down more than 20 percent from five years earlier. “Unfortunately, we’re going to lose a lot of farmers over the next 10 years without any succession planning. And we’re not going to get those farmers back. So we know, but we don’t know how to fix the bigger problems,” Kennedy said. Tim Marsh is the president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture. He has a farm near Newport. (Mark Crosby/ CBC) Tim Marsh, president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture, said succession plans go a long way in promoting communication among farm families. “Probably one of the best things farmers can do is talk to the next generation from Day 1 and be open and honest with how the farm is going,” he said. Marsh said there are resources and online tools available to help farmers with the sometimes long and confusing process of creating a succession plan. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help,” Marsh said. MORE TOP STORIES
