News related to Department of Food Agricultural and Resource Economics

The Ontario Farmland Value and Rental Value Survey was launched in 2016 to address the lack of publicly available county-level data on farmland values and rental rates across Ontario. The initiative is a collaboration between the University of Guelph, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, and provincial farm organizations.

The Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics Professor Brady Deaton shared insights from the 2025 Farmland Price and Rental Survey and discuss related issues in farmland markets. The Ontario Farmland Value and Rental Value Survey is designed to generate public information on farmland values and rental rates in Ontario. Results are reported at the census division level to support farmers, landowners, and other stakeholders. Survey reports and updates are available through the project website.

In a recent appearance on TVO Today, FARE faculty and OAC Dean John Cranfield shared a compelling and optimistic message: there has never been a better time to be in agriculture. Cranfield highlighted agriculture as a future‑focused, innovation‑driven sector where economics, technology, sustainability, and food security intersect.

In U of G’s Food and Agricultural Business (BComm-FAB) major, students gain a unique blend of business training from the Lang School of Business and Economics as well as agri-food expertise from the Ontario Agricultural College - brought to life through hands-on learning experiences. For FAB student, Sophia Trothen, one of those experiences came through her involvement with the Canadian Agri-Marketing Association (CAMA), a student competition that challenges teams to develop and pitch innovative agri-food products.

FARE Prof. Brady Deaton gave remarks to the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry in Ottawa, on April 30th 2026

"Canada already has targeted tools for food affordability. A public grocery chain would be a far more expensive way to help far fewer people" says Professor Michael von Massow.

Read more at theConversation.com: Public grocery stores won’t fix Canada’s food affordability crisis

A Life in Agricultural Economics at the University of Guelph

Professor Emeritus Thomas Francis Funk passed away on March 29, 2026. He served as a cornerstone of the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (FARE) at the University of Guelph for more than three decades, leaving a lasting legacy of academic excellence, professional leadership, and dedication to students.

For more than a decade, Ontario farmers, policymakers, investors, and agricultural professionals have relied on the Ontario Farmland Value and Rental Value Survey for insights into farmland prices, rental rates, and market dynamics across the province. The lack of publicly available information on farmland rental rates was one of the primary drivers behind the first survey in 2016.  

Congratulations to Professor Yu Na Lee

On behalf of the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (FARE), we are delighted to congratulate Professor Yu Na Lee on being awarded both the 2025 SSHRC Insight Grant (IG) and the Insight Development Grant (IDG). This exceptional achievement reflects Professor Lee’s scholarly excellence and the profound relevance and impact of her research.