The Newfoundland and Labrador Young Farmers Forum launched a land-matching map
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
An industry group has launched a new online tool to help new farmers access land.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Young Farmers Forum’s (NLYFF) land-matching map is now live on the organization’s website.
The map and directory helps connect young farmers in the province with available land, or connect existing farmers looking to expand with more land.
Access to good farmland is among the biggest challenges for new farmers, said Matthew Carlson, young farmers coordinator with the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture.
“Getting land and getting it in a timely manner can be a challenge,” he told Farms.com. “We have a system here mostly through Crown land with favourable rates but there’s often a time lag between someone initiating the process and getting land in their name. This directory lets an interested person contact someone with land directly.”
The value of farmland and buildings per acre in the province as of July 1, 2020 was $5,600, Stats Canada says. That figure was above the national average of $3,393.
Funding for the map came from the Young Farmers’ Initiative, which received funding from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
NLYFF set up its interactive map after connecting with Young Agrarians in British Columbia.
That organization has multiple land access resources for farmers across Canada, including a guide for young Alberta farmers it launched this year.
The map works similarly to other popular online buy and sell sites.
The website currently has seven land listings. Each one contains contact, land and other important information.
“We wanted to make the map as simple as possible while still providing the necessary information,” Carlson said.
One listing, for example, is for 200 acres of land up for sale in Peterview, Nfld.
“About 100 acres (are) good for crops, (the other) half of remaining (acres) would make hay land, some of the rest could probably be used but would have to be drained,” the ad posted by Everett Adams says.
The NLYFF will be actively engaging with the farming community to use the land-matching map.
“We’re going to be running ads on social media and in industry publications soon to get more listings on there,” Carlson said. “We want to raise more awareness about it and get more people to check it out.”