1.0 Who's minding Canada's farms?

1.1 How does the Census of Agriculture define a farm operator?

1.2 Why are there more farm operators than farms?

1.3 Does any pattern emerge for farm operators based on age?

1.4 But the whole population is aging. Are farm operators as a group greying faster than the general population, or than other workers in the labour force?

1.5 Why are there fewer young people now in agriculture?

1.6 How many women are farm operators?

Agricultural operators are those persons responsible for the day-to-day management and/or financial decisions made in the operation of a farm or an agricultural operation. Operators can be owners, tenants or hired managers of the agricultural operation. This can include those responsible for management decisions pertinent to particular aspects of the farm - planting and harvesting; raising animals; capital purchases; marketing and sales, and other financial decisions.

An agricultural operation may have more than one operator - husband and wife; two brothers; father and son; father, son and wife; father, daughter and husband, two neighbours, etc.

The definition of operator is not intended to include children or other individuals responsible for particular chores or work on the agricultural operation. Only those persons responsible for day-to-day management decisions should be listed as farm operators.

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The Census of Agriculture collects information about farm operations and farm operators. Since 1991, the census form has enabled farmers to report up to three operators for each farm, which is why there are more operators than farms. Many farms have more than one person managing the farm.

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In 2001, young farmers (those 15 to 34) made up 11.5% of all operators, the middle-aged group (35 to 54) comprised 53.6% and those over 55 made up 34.9%. .

Young farmers showed the sharpest decline from 1991 to 2001, down 48.8% from 77,905 to 39,920. In contrast, the proportion of operators in the 35-to-54 and 55-and-over categories grew from 80.1% in 1991 to 88.5% in 2001.

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1.4 But the whole population is aging. Are farm operators as a group greying faster than the general population, or than other workers in the labour force?

Yes. Among self-employed workers, the group most directly comparable to farmers, 21% were 55 or older in 2001; 35% of farmers were 55 or older. Nearly 20% of self-employed workers were under 35, but just 11.5% of farmers.

Comparing the median ages of these groups only reinforces this impression. In 2001, the median age of self-employed workers was 44, of farmers, 49, and of the whole labour force, 38.

Of all the farm operators counted on May 15, 2001, 15% were 65 or over. Another 68,000 (or 20%) will celebrate their 65th birthday by 2011. By contrast, 9% of the entire labour force will turn 65 by the 2011 Census.

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The 2001 Census data shows a 10.7% decline in farm numbers for almost all provinces and a 11.1% increase in the average acre of farms since 1996. These factors provide part of the picture of why there are fewer younger farmers. However, the data does not explain why many young people are turning away from agriculture. The Census of Agriculture does not survey those who have left the industry.

This generation of young farmers is better educated than were previous generations. Between 1991 and 2001, the proportion of young farmers with postsecondary education rose from 37% to 49% up 12%. This trend may in part also explain the pull young farmers feel to seek a career off the farm.

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Women have always played a major role in farm life, but the Census of Agriculture has only recently begun to capture this; only since 1991 has there been space on the census form for farmers to report more than one operator. However, in the three censuses since that change was made, the proportion of all farm operators who are women has changed little. Over this time the ratio of male to female operators remains approximately 3:1. In total numbers female operators have dropped from 100,320 in 1991, 97,345 in 1996 and 91,180 in 2001, a 9.1% drop since 1991.