Farms.com Home   News

More farmland being rented out than ever before: Census of Agriculture

The amount of rented farmland in Saskatchewan and Alberta shot upward in the 2010's.

Farmland rented or leased in the two provinces went from 25.7 million acres in 2011 to 29.1 million in 2021, according to Census of Agriculture data.

So, in a decade, about 3.4 million acres shifted from owned and operated to the “rented” land category. 

The 3.4 million acres includes cropland and ranchland.

The data matches what real estate agents and producers have noticed over the last 15 years — less farmland is coming up for sale on the Prairies.

In January 2012, about 850 Saskatchewan farms were listed on the MLS real estate platform.

As of this August, 265 Saskatchewan farms were listed on the MLS.

The decline in farmland for sale makes sense, considering 2.3 million acres of land didn’t hit the market from 2011 to 2021 in Saskatchewan.

Instead, it became rented land.

Click here to see more...

Trending Video

Introduction to Crop Scouting

Video: Summer Crop Scouting MN Farm!

Crop scouting is a vital part of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), helping identify pests, optimize input use, and protect yields. Scouts act as the grower’s field observers, offering timely insights.

In this webinar, Liz Gartman, UW–Madison Extension regional crops educator, provides an introduction to crop scouting, covering everything from pre-field preparation to in-field tools, resources, and best practices.

Preparation includes understanding field history, gathering tools, and setting communication expectations. In the field, scouts assess plant health, pest presence, and environmental stress using systematic patterns. Accurate documentation and clear reporting are essential. Tools like soil surveys, weather data, and pest calendars support decision-making. Ultimately, crop scouting builds trust, supports sustainability, and ensures informed, timely responses to field conditions.