After an introduction in which Evan discusses what he would do to help agriculture in the future, Evan and Kristjan are joined by Andrea Gruza and Mitchell King of Bonnefield Financial for a conversation about farmland, access to capital and the role of private investment in Canadian agriculture.
Andrea and Mitchell explain how Bonnefield works with farmers, including sale-and-leaseback arrangements, land unit exchanges and expansion-related land purchases. They discuss how lease rates are determined, how long-term leases and buyback options can be structured, and what they look for when deciding which farm operators to work with.
The conversation also covers farmland ownership rules, the availability of capital in different provinces, succession and transition situations, and the challenges farms can face when land they currently rent or want to acquire comes up for sale. Evan and Kristjan also share their perspectives on land ownership, rental arrangements, working capital and the importance of understanding the different financing and partnership options available to a farm.