Sowing the future for family farms

There are some troubling trends when it comes to agriculture in Nova Scotia. The number of farms is declining at a quicker rate than in the rest of Canada. Nova Scotia has the oldest farm operators with more than two-thirds over the age of 55. And even though it's growing, Statistics Canada says only 8% of farms reported a succession plan. Richard Hennigar is in his 70's and is a third generation apple farmer who lives in Sheffield Mills in the Annapolis Valley. And he's one of the farmers with a succession plan for Suprima Farms where he grows apples and makes cider. But his plan does not include family. He says the pandemic did put pressure on him to reduce his operation somewhat since the Seaport Farmer's Market was on hold. And he discusses the 30th Anniversary celebrations happening this weekend in Wolfville in this conversation about the future of agriculture in a time when food security is top of mind.