Part-time farming in Canada: Issues and non-issues

Part-time farming has always existed in Canada. Since 1941, about one-third of census-farm operators have reported some off-farm work. The structure of participation in off-farm work by type of farm remained relatively stable in the 1961 to 1976 period suggesting a stable relationship between the production of certain food commodities and off-farm work by farmers.Off-farm work can be considered to be one of the productive enterprises to which an operator may allocate his human and non-human capital endowment. There is no (economic) theoretical basis for policies to discriminate against part-time farmers — part-time farming is consistent with efficient food production.Off-farm work is one way to improve the welfare of farmers and rural communities. Off-farm work appears to aid the entry of many but not a majority of recent entrants to the status of full-time farming. Not many full-time farmers appear to use off-farm work as a mechanism to leave agriculture. Public policies should directly pursue their objectives of efficient food production, fair farmer incomes etc. regardless of whether the farmer is full-time or part-time.