Agriculture Reality Check: Why Having a People Strategy is No Longer Optional
Nicole Carey
February 25, 2026
Canadian agriculture is entering a workforce reality that can no longer be managed with last minute hiring and assumed know-how. What used to work: family labour, seasonal scrambling and hoping workers “figure it out” is no longer sustainable. As we continue through 2026, a practical people strategy isn’t an HR Luxury. It’s a business necessity for farms that want to protect productivity, manage risk, and remain viable long-term.
The Labour Gap is No Longer a Future Problem
The numbers are clear. According to the Canadian Agriculture Human Resource Council (CAHRC), one-third of Canada’s agricultural workforce is expected to retire within five years, creating a projected labour gap of roughly 100,000 workers.
Even with increased participation in the Temporary Foreign Worker program, the sector is still expected to face a shortfall of about 22,000 workers. At the same time, the median age of farm operators has reached 58, adding additional pressure around succession planning, knowledge transfer and operational continuity.
This isn’t a temporary squeeze. It’s a structural shift.
Competition for Workers Has Intensified
Agriculture is no longer competing only with neighbouring farms. Today’s labour market includes strong competition from construction, oilfield and strategy, warehousing and logistics, and skilled trades. Many of these sectors offer higher base wages, overtime opportunities, more predictable schedules and clear advancement paths.
Hourly wages alone are no longer enough to attract and keep good people. Across industries (including manufacturing), workforce research completed by PeopleWorx shows a growing emphasis on career pathways, training investment and workplace stability as key retention drivers. Agriculture is not immune to these expectations.
The Old Workforce Model is Breaking Down
Many farms are already feeling the shift, fewer younger family members are entering farming. More hires are coming from non-ag backgrounds, and seasonal workers are not returning year over year. Increased mechanization is also requiring higher skill levels.
We often say, Most farms don’t have a hiring problem, they have a planning problem. By the time recruitment starts, the operation is already short.
Seasonal scrambling creates predictable pain points such as rushed hiring decisions, minimal onboarding, unclear expectations and higher early turnover. Modern farm operations require workers who can stay beyond a single season and grow with the business.
What a Practical Farm People Strategy Looks Like
A strong people strategy doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be international and farm-ready. Here are the core elements we see making the biggest difference:
Workforce Planning (Before the Season Starts)
This means forecasting labour needs by season, identifying critical roles, planning for retirements and turnover, and mapping training timelines around the Ag calendar.
Farms that plan early avoid panic hiring and have more choice in candidates.
2. Realistic Recruitment
Today’s successful farms are shifting their mindset. Instead of looking only for “experienced farm workers” they are hiring for attitude, reliability, mechanical aptitude and willingness to learn.
Many operations now expect to train and build structured learning into their workforce model. This significantly widens the candidate pool.
3. Structured Onboarding (Where Retention is Won or Lost)
Unclear expectations are one of the biggest drivers of turnover we see. When workers don’t know what “good” looks like, they assume they’re failing. Farms that invest time in onboarding, not just paperwork, consistently report faster skill development, fewer mistakes, better safety outcomes and higher retention. High-impact onboarding practices include 30/60/90- day plans, safety orientation tied to real tasks, weekly early check-ins and clear performance expectations.
A quick real-world example:
One farm experiencing high early turnover implemented a simple onboarding model: clear expectation, a buddy system and weekly check-ins. With no changes to wages or hiring sources, early turnover dropped significantly, and experienced operators spent less time correcting mistakes and more time running equipment.
4. Supervisor Development (The Often Missed Lever)
Good supervisors aren’t born, they’re supported. Promoting a strong operator into a leadership role without training often creates communication breakdowns, inconsistent expectations and frustrated crews. Which ultimately leads to higher turnover. Supervisor support should include clear role expectations, basic people management training, and coaching on feedback and accountability. Strong front-line leadership is one of the biggest predictors of retention.
5. Retention-Focused Practices
Farms that are successfully stabilizing their workforce are paying attention to predictable schedules where possible, clear progression path and skills development opportunities. They also have exposure to new technology, regular feedback conversations and purpose and connection to the operation. We are seeing a growing shift towards semi-permanent or returning workforce models supported by intentional planning.
Reality Check Activity for Your Operation
If you want a practical starting point, try this exercise with your team:
Step 1: Map Your Season
Draw your operational timeline: Pre-season, Planting, In-season, Harvest, End of Season.
Step 2: Plot the New Hire Experience
At each stage, ask: “What would a new worker experience here?” “Where is stress highest, and safety risks elevated?” and “Where are expectations unclear?”
Step 3: Identify Exit Points
Mark moments that could cause a worker to leave such as long stretches without feedback, high-pressure learning moments, weather delays, fatigue periods or equipment complexity spikes.
Step 4: Brainstorming Practical Fixes
Focus on small, high-impact improvements such as pre-season orientation, equipment cheat sheets, buddy assignments and mid-season check-ins. You don’t need perfection, you need progress.
The Bottom Line
Canadian agriculture is moving into a period where people strategy equals business strategy. With retirements accelerating, competition intensifying, and skill requirements rising, farms that rely on reactive hiring will continue to feel the squeeze. Operations that take a practical, structured approach to workforce planning, onboarding and leadership development are already seeing lower turnover, fast ramp-up and stronger safety performances from their team. They also have more stable returning workforces with better long-term continuity.
The farms that thrive in 2026 and beyond won’t necessarily be the ones paying the highest hourly wage. They’ll be the ones where workers know what’s expected, feel supported early, and can see a future with the operation.
If you’d like help building a farm-ready people strategy that fits your operation, not a corporate HR manual, HR Advantage is here to support.
