Deep Roots

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which have grown significantly in recent years. According to

FarmCredit Canada (FCC, a federal Crown Corporation and the

largest lender to Canadian farmers), the value of farmland grew

by more than 22 per cent in 2013, which is the largest annual

increase since the FCC began reporting in 1985.

Other financial factors can also affect whether or not younger

Canadians decide to continue family farming, as it is by no means

a guaranteed route to financial success; in 2010, nearly three

in 10 farms in Canada lost money. Many young Canadians are

already managing debt (79 per cent of the under-35 age group

reported having debt in 2012)

and may not want to compli-

cate their financial situation further by taking on new expenses

or loans needed for starting or continuing the family farm.

While these potential obstacles are not new and many youth do

continue to work on the family farm, further financial concerns

down the road may pressure some to reconsider their options.

Operating a family farm is extremely labour-intensive, and

fewer Canadians are available or inclined to work in the fields

than in the past. The number of resident Canadians reporting

a willingness to work in horticulture (the cultivation of fruits,

vegetables and flowers) declined by 25 per cent in the 1990s

alone.

Some family farms manage labour shortages by hiring

migrant farmworkers from abroad on a temporary basis through

programmes such as the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program

(SAWP), which was established in 1966 to help farmers through

their planting and harvesting seasons for specified commodities.

Initially intended as a temporary measure to manage an immedi-

ate labour shortage, the programme has since grown and many

family farms in Canada – particularly those in Ontario – now

rely on the yearly influx of thousands of workers who have been

recruited by officials in their home countries.

Migrant workers earn more money and experience greater job

security in Canada than they might have in their home countries.

SAWP permits migrant farm workers up to eight months per

year in agricultural operations, although the average time spent

working in Canada is between 17 and 20 weeks.

Many of these

workers return to work at the same farms for years on end. Some

of these farm workers are following in the footsteps of other

family members who had participated (or are still participating)

in the programme. The money they earn is often sent back home

to support their families and communities. This revenue stream

can contribute to the development of local economies in their

home country, as can entrepreneurship skills and knowledge the

farm workers may have learned while abroad.

While agricultural work in Canada provides income for

migrant farm workers, leaving their home country has its

costs to their well-being. They are not only separated from the

people they love and support, but also from the communities

and culture they leave behind, even if only on a seasonal basis.

Many report that working away from home has had detrimental

effects on their families, such as marital strain, distant parent-

child relationships and increased depression and anxiety.

Employers must provide “adequate living accommodation” for

SAWP workers, but the rural settings of most Canadian farms

generally pose significant language and mobility barriers to

participating in recreational activities outside of work. Feelings

of isolation and stress can be magnified by the long hours and

physically demanding nature of farm work.

Migrant farm workers’ families in their home country can

also face increased stress and household workloads due to the

absence of a family member. When one parent leaves to work

abroad, the partner or spouse who stays behind often faces a

significant increase in responsibilities while in precarious finan-

cial situations. These families often adapt to this strain with help

from extended family members. When mothers come to work

on Canadian farms, young children are left with kin while older

children are often left on their own. Despite the difficulties faced

by migrant farm labourers, through their work in Canada they

are able to provide support to their families and they play a vital

role in ensuring the success of many family farms.

Family farms have been integral to Canada’s social and

economic development throughout its history, and despite

the changing nature of agricultural work – and the farmers,

farm families and migrant farm workers – these farms will

continue to be significant players in local and provincial econ-

omies, as well as the national economy.

Family ties contribute to the uniqueness and resilience of family farms

Farming in Canada is characterized by diversity because its geographical

landscape is diverse

Image: The Vanier Institute of the Family

Image: Alan Mirabelli

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