The average age of a Christmas tree farmer is between 65 and 85, according to the Canadian Christmas Trees Association, raising questions about who will take over once they can no longer work. (Financial Post)

Talking point: The quandary is part of the succession tsunami Canada faces, as more than 70 per cent of Canada’s 1.2 million small business owners plan to retire within a decade, putting $2 trillion in assets at risk. The total area of Christmas tree farms in the country shrunk by nearly 20,000 acres between 2011 and 2021, according to Statistics Canada. That’s been a boon to individual farmers who face less competition, but it doesn’t bode well for the future of the industry. Perhaps Taylor Swift, who spent her childhood picking praying-mantis egg pods off trees on her parents’ Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania, could be the face of a campaign to inspire youth to consider the career path.