Best Uses for Old Farmland in Canada (A Practical Guide)

Canada has a lot of old farmland. Across the Maritimes, through Southern Ontario, and into the Prairies, there are hundreds of thousands of acres that were once working farms — and aren't anymore. The farmers retired or passed on. The next generation moved to the city. The equipment got sold. And the land just... stopped.

If you own property like this — whether you inherited it, bought it, or you're the one who retired — you've probably asked yourself what to do with it. The old use doesn't make sense anymore, but neither does doing nothing.

Here's a practical look at the best options for old farmland in Canada, starting with the simplest and working toward the most potentially rewarding.

Before picking an option, you need to honestly assess the land. Not all old farmland is equal. A 50-acre parcel of flat, well-drained cropland in Essex County is a completely different asset than 20 acres of hilly, rocky pasture in Cape Breton.

Key factors to evaluate:

• Soil quality. Has the soil been depleted from decades of monoculture? Is it still productive? A basic soil test ($30–$60 at most agricultural offices) will tell you a lot.
• Drainage and topography. Flat, well-drained land has the most options. Sloped or wet ground narrows the field considerably.
• Existing infrastructure. Barns, fencing, wells, hydro — do they still function? Are they liabilities or assets?
• Access and location. How close are you to markets, neighbours, and roads? This affects everything from tourist potential to leasing value.
• Zoning. What's the land currently zoned for? Agricultural zoning may limit some non-farm uses but also provides tax advantages in many provinces.

Once you know what you've got, matching it to the right use gets much easier.

This is the path of least resistance, and it works surprisingly well in many areas. Active farmers are almost always looking for more land — especially good cropland they don't have to buy.

Farm lease rates in Canada range enormously by location and land quality:

• Prime cropland in Ontario: $100 to $275 per acre per year
• Average cropland in the Maritimes: $30 to $80 per acre
• Pasture land: $10 to $40 per acre

The returns aren't spectacular, but the effort is nearly zero. You sign a lease agreement, collect rent, and the tenant handles everything. They may even improve the land in the process.

The downside: marginal farmland (poorly drained, stony, steep) is hard to lease at any price. And you're dependent on finding a reliable tenant, which isn't always easy in areas where farming communities have thinned out.

If the land won't support crop farming, it might still work for hay or livestock pasture. Horse owners, hobby farmers, and small-scale livestock producers often need affordable grazing land and are willing to lease by the season.

Hay production is particularly low-effort if you can find a custom operator. They cut, bale, and sell — you get a share. On good hay land, you might net $150 to $400 per acre per season with almost no personal involvement.

This Option works especially well for old farmland that's already been in grass or pasture — you're working with what the land naturally wants to do, rather than fighting it.

The "farm experience" economy is booming. Families want to visit farms, pick berries, pet goats, and stay in rustic cabins. If your old farmland has character — an old barn, nice views, a pleasant setting — there's genuine potential here.

Options at this scale include:

• Farm stays or Airbnb. If there's a liveable farmhouse, seasonal rental can generate $5,000 to $20,000+ per year depending on location and condition.
• U-pick operations. Plant berries or pumpkins, let customers do the harvesting. Scales from half an acre up.
• Event venue. Barn weddings and outdoor events are big business in rural Ontario, Nova Scotia, and BC. Permit-heavy but high-revenue.
• Camping or glamping. Low infrastructure cost, growing demand, platforms like Hipcamp make marketing easy.

The common thread: all of these require active involvement and, for most, some capital investment. They're real businesses, not passive income plays. If that excites you, great. If it doesn't, keep reading.

Solar companies are actively looking for flat, unshaded land near grid connections. If your old farmland fits the bill, a solar lease can generate $800 to $2,000 per acre per year for 20 to 25 years. That's passive income on a serious scale.

But the caveats are significant: you need proximity to the electrical grid, appropriate municipal zoning, and a solar developer interested in your area. The approval process can take years. And once those panels go up, the land is committed for a generation.

It's worth investigating — especially for flat, large parcels in Ontario and Alberta where solar development is most active. But it's not a quick or guaranteed option.

If income isn't your primary goal, some old farmland is best returned to a natural state. Conservation easements, wetland restoration programs, and provincial stewardship initiatives can provide tax relief and sometimes direct payments for rewilding efforts.

In Nova Scotia, for example, the Department of Natural Resources has programs supporting biodiversity on private land. Ontario has similar initiatives through the Conservation Authorities.

This isn't a money-making strategy. But it can reduce your carrying costs, provide tax benefits, and create an environmental legacy. For landowners who've "done their time" in farming, there's something satisfying about giving the land a chance to recuperate.

And then there's timber. For old farmland specifically, this might be the most natural transition of all — because farmland has exactly the qualities that high-value trees need.

Here's why old farmland and timber go hand in hand:

• The soil is already prepared. Decades of farming typically mean well-worked, reasonably fertile soil. No need for heavy clearing or ground preparation.
• Drainage is often established. Most farmed land has been graded or ditched for water management — exactly what tree roots need.
• The land is cleared and accessible. No bush to cut through, no boulders to work around. You can move from "old farm" to "young plantation" in a single planting season.
• Farm infrastructure helps. Existing roads, lanes, and boundary fencing make tree planting logistics much simpler.

For black walnut specifically — which is what we grow and sell at Little Tree Farm — old farmland in Zones 4 through 7 is ideal. That covers most of Southern Ontario, the St. Lawrence Valley, and parts of the Maritimes including Nova Scotia.

Let's look at a realistic scenario: 20 acres of retired farmland.

• Planting cost: 218 trees/acre × $8/seedling × 20 acres = $34,880
• Maintenance (years 1–3): Weed control around seedlings — maybe $2,000–$4,000 total if you hire help
• Total investment: ~$37,000 to $39,000

Potential at harvest (35–50 years):

• Conservative ($25K/acre): $500,000
• Mid-range ($62.5K/acre): $1,250,000
• Premium ($125K/acre): $2,500,000

Even the conservative number is a 12x to 13x return on investment. And the investment itself is smaller than a used pickup truck.

You can enter your own acreage in the investment calculator to see what the numbers look like for your property.

Not every acre needs the same treatment. A practical approach for larger properties might look like this:

• Best cropland: Lease to a neighbouring farmer for steady income
• Open acreage with good soil: Plant timber for long-term returns
• Buildings and road frontage: Consider agritourism or rental
• Wet or marginal areas: Conservation or rewilding

You don't have to pick one strategy for the entire property. The smartest landowners mix and match based on what each section can realistically support. Old farms often have a natural diversity of land types — use that to your advantage.

Every option on this list has merit. But the most realistic choice is the one that matches your situation — your energy, your timeline, your goals.

If you want active income and enjoy people, agritourism might be your thing. If you just want to stop the financial bleeding, leasing is the fastest move. If you're thinking about your kids and grandkids — about building something that outlasts you — timber is hard to beat.

Whatever you choose, the worst option is the one most Canadian landowners are currently employing: doing nothing, hoping the land somehow becomes more valuable on its own, and writing another property tax cheque for land that's just sitting there.

If timber interests you, our free planting guide covers the how. For other ideas specific to your situation, we've written about what to do with inherited land and low-maintenance farming ideas for landowners over 50. Start wherever fits you best — just start.