Nantais, who grew up just outside of Montreal in Pointe-Claire, started experimenting in his mother's backyard — growing kale, cucumbers, and zucchinis for the first time more than four years ago.
Now, more students from urban areas are joining agricultural programs at schools, and graduates are finding niche areas of the field. Innovation is key for aspiring farmers, said Craig Klemmer, principal economist at Farm Credit Canada. Starting small could be the first step. Nantais moved to Toronto last year to set up his own vertical farm business with an investment from his uncle but ran into a logistical issue: finding an appropriate rental space for the operation.
The price of farmland in southern Ontario has gone up from an average of $2,616 per hectare in 1996 to approximately $23,100 per hectare in 2023, according to Farm Credit Canada's historical farmland values report. Other provinces have seen similar price jumps.