Amish Families leaving Ontario for P.E.I

Feb 08, 2016

Farmland prices among the reasons for the move

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

According to some Amish families, Ontario farmland is too expensive and is a main factor in their decision to move to Prince Edward Island.

Brad Oliver, a realtor based in Montague, Prince Edward Island, told CTV News that some of the families are on Ontario farmland that can be worth more than $20,000 per acre. Conversely, some farmland in P.E.I. is worth about $2,000 to $3,000 per acre.

Oliver said it’s easier to make those prices work when farmers own the land, but the next generation of farmers are looking to buy farms and may not be able to afford it.

Farmland Values graph

Tony Wallbank’s is among the nearly 10 families making the moves to the east coast.

He began looking for new opportunities in Ontario’s north and in the United States but found land prices were too expensive or the land itself was unusable.

Wallbank visited P.E.I. in 2014 and was encouraged by the sight of fields and landowners who used traditional methods to produce crops.

Some families will make their new homes in P.E.I. in March, while some others will wait until June when the school year is done.

Oliver said towards the end of May, people could see some farmers using horse-drawn equipment to perform farming duties.

According to a 2014 report by Farm Credit Canada, farmland values in the country increased by about 14.3 per cent in 2014.

Video: FLEECED! Sheep Shearer Hands Over Clippers!

It's sheep shearing day at Ewetopia Farms! ?? Our Dorset lambs and ewes are getting fleeced — and for the first time, our shearer hands over his clippers to a beginner. We finish shearing the last of our adult ewes and this year’s Dorset ewe lambs.

From moving the sheep between barns, loading them into chutes, and watching the wool come off, this is always one of the most satisfying days on the farm. But this video has a twist — we welcomed a new helper, Gian, who’s not only lending a hand but also learning how to shear! With guidance from our experienced shearer, he got a crash course in sheep shearing and even tried his hand at shearing a couple of lambs himself.

You’ll see firsthand how both teacher and student handled this unique challenge. Shearing is more than just removing wool — it’s about sheep health, comfort, and giving us a closer look at the flock. It’s always amazing to see the transformation from woolly sheep to freshly shorn ewes and lambs.