As our region plays host the International Plowing Match, an event that pays tribute to local farms and the families that own them, the future of family run farms face an uncertain future.

Farming is tradition with the Brown family.

“Brown’s farm has been in the family since 1871, the future of family farm and we’re not sure right now,” says Connie Brown.

The Brown’s grow several crops, including pumpkin’s and corn. But Connie’s daughters say, right now, they are not interested in carrying on the family farming tradition.

“For the future, I feel I’ve been there and done that and I want to experience something else,” says Denise Brown.

A study done by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business in 2013 showed that only 8% of Canadian farmers are under the age of 35.

Julie Brown says most of her friends are looking at other opportunities.

“Yeah, there’s not that many interested in farming anymore and much of the farmland is turning into houses.”

Statistics Canada says due to things like urban sprawl and soil erosion, there are 26% fewer farms than there were in 1991 but the real estate market to sell the family farm is hot.

“What is happening is the larger farmers with 500 to 700 acres are looking at buying up the smaller farms,” says realtor Cal Madill.  

A pattern that 4th generation farmer Laury Ego sees all around him.

“The family farms are now going to corporate farms, very large, in order to justify the big equipment and investment that’s needed.”

Ego has already passed his farm on to his kids and although it’s a lot of work both his kids say they enjoy working on it. But they don’t know if their children will want to carry on the farming tradition.

“I’ll leave it up to the next generation to decide. I was lucky I had the choice what I wanted to do in life, I’d like to give them the same choice,” says Bryan Ego.