First Steps
Starting a farm in Prince Edward Island involves thorough planning and a clear understanding of your objectives. Learn the initial stages of establishing an agricultural business through this step-by-step framework.
From registration and licensing, to equipment, livestock and crops, these steps will help you define your farming goals and needs, helping you create a successful and sustainable career in agriculture.
Why do you want to farm? Identify the goals you have with your farm and consider how you want to achieve them. Consider what land, capital, infrastructure, equipment, and information you can access. Do you have experience farming? If not, consider working with local farms to gain experience before undertaking your own enterprise.
Taking into consideration the goals, resources, and experience that you've identified, choose what you'd like to produce and how you'd like to produce it.
Consider questions like:
- Will you be specialized or have a variety of products?
- Will you have crops, livestock, or both?
- Will you have value-added products?
- Will you send your products to market or direct-to-consumer?
- Will your farm be conventional or organic?
Having identified your farm model, develop a business plan to help you manage your farm's development and profitability. Your plan for the farm enterprise(s) may change based on the results of the business plan.
The Future Farmer and Business Development programs can both help producers with their business planning.
Partnerships, corporations, and cooperatives must register as businesses in PEI, but individual proprietorships do not if operated under the individual's name.
Farms must register under the Farm Registration and Farm Organizations Funding Act once they begin earning income.
The Farm Assessment Program offers tax relief for bona fide farmers. The Future Farmer 2.0 program helps new farmers qualify for bona fide status.
Ensure you have any necessary permits and licenses for your farm business and that it abides by all federal, provincial, and municipal regulations.
Purchase or lease all land, infrastructure, and equipment you'll need for your farm enterprise(s). The Farmland Financing Program is available to new, expanding, or successional producers. The Future Farmer Program 2.0 can help with on-farm project funding for select equipment and infrastructure, as well as sampling through the PEI Analytical Lab for assessing soil, water, dairy, and plant tissue.
Now you can purchase your initial selection of livestock and/or crop seed to start your farm business. From here, you can enjoy in the tradition of farming and work to ensure your farm business prospers.