An encouraging bit of news on the land protection front.
As this article states, irrigation strategy is also of major importance. We will be interested to hear from Dr. Michael van den Heuvel about his research on irrigation in PEI in our next episode of Landlines.
FARMLAND TRUST TO ANCHOR PEI’S “LAND STRATEGY”
Dr. Greg Keefe to guide development of new provincial program
The PEI government will move this Spring towards creating a provincial farmland trust system aimed at keeping agricultural land in production, Premier Bloyce Thompson told the 85th annual meeting of the PEI Federation of Agriculture on Jan. 23.
“Moving forward, increasing protection for farmland is a major focus for us. We need to take action now that will support farmers and guide our land use into the future,” said Thompson, who is also Minister of Agriculture.
He described the farmland trust as a major pillar of the province’s future land-use strategy and announced the department has engaged Dr. Greg Keefe to begin work on the plan.
Keefe is the former interim president at UPEI and former dean of the Atlantic Veterinary College.
Thompson said this new system will “also offer more options to our farmers.”
Thompson said more details on the structure of the farmland trust will be released this spring, and stressed that the farming community will be directly involved in shaping how it works.
“We are very excited to be kick-starting this journey,” he told the room. “And we are just as excited to make sure you are involved in the next steps.”
The announcement gives concrete form to an idea that has been circulating in Island policy and farm circles since at least 2019 as pressure on farmland values, ownership, and long-term availability continues to mount.
The discussions on using public funds to secure agricultural land are contained in a Farmland Bank Proposal, a 2019 report that recommends the province acquire farmland for a “Farmland Bank,” potentially funded by a $100 million bond issue.
Thompson said protecting farmland is now a central priority for his government, not only through regulation, but by creating practical tools that help keep land working for agriculture.
Keefe, who will lead the work on the trust, is a PEI native and a veterinarian by training. He holds degrees from NSAC, UPEI, and the University of Guelph, and served as AVC dean before becoming UPEI’s interim president and vice-chancellor in 2021.
Thompson said Keefe’s combination of agricultural, academic, and administrative experience makes him uniquely suited to help design a system that works for both farmers and the public interest.
Alongside the farmland trust, Thompson said the province has already begun discussions with the Department of Finance about taxation incentives tied to farmland retention and continued agricultural use.
“I know firsthand that farmland is viewed by many as a retirement option,” he said. “So, if we’re going to ask farmers to keep agricultural land in production, we have to offer incentives that make those decisions easier.”
He said any successful land-protection strategy will depend on collaboration and trust between government and producers.
“As Islanders and as farmers, we are all very invested in our land,” he said. “For these initiatives to work, it will require a team effort and your input.”
Thompson acknowledged that 2025 was a difficult year for Island agriculture, marked by trade uncertainty and extreme weather.
“It started with trade threats from our southern neighbours, and Mother Nature was cruel,” he said. “But farmers do what farmers always do — we battle through.”
He said the province has worked with industry over the past year to diversify markets, including trade missions and efforts to open new opportunities in Mexico and Asia, while continuing to press Ottawa on the need for stability in Canada-U.S. trade relations.
“As premier, the first thing I always bring up is the stability of our agricultural industry,” Thompson said, referencing recent meetings with Prime Minister Mark Carney and other premiers. “In this province, agriculture is our economic driver, and I will always advocate for agriculture.”
A second major focus of Thompson’s address was irrigation, an issue thrown into sharp focus by the dry 2025 growing season.
“There’s no doubt 2025 showed us the importance of irrigation,” he said. “We are focused on the future of irrigation on PEI, and we know we have to work together to make sure it’s done right.”
He pointed to newly launched irrigation support programs to help farmers purchase infrastructure, and to a new working group between the departments of Agriculture and Environment aimed at ensuring expansion happens responsibly.
“In order to grow our industry through changing weather, this has to be a priority,” he said. “We are extremely invested in the future,” he said. “These are all ways we can help make sure PEI agriculture is in good hands moving forward.”
Thompson returned to the central role agriculture plays in the Island economy and rural communities.
“You are the engine that keeps rural PEI moving,” he told delegates. “As long as I am in this role, we will continue to invest in this industry. There is no bigger industry for our economy than agriculture.”
