Young farmers to use federal cash for business training

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

photo: Ian Richardson

photo: Jean-Pierre Blackburn

by PATRICIA GROTENHUIS

A federal government funding windfall will be used to offer best management practice workshops for younger farmers.

“It’s exciting for us to see the federal government is committed to helping young farmers,” says Ian Richardson, president of the Canadian Young Farmers Forum.

Jean-Pierre Blackburn, minister of state (agriculture and agri-food), announced the funding Sunday. The government will contribute $1.2 million to the Forum over the next four years to fund the delivery of educational and developmental programs for young farmers.

Richardson says the Forum will use the money to implement best management practice workshops.

The workshops are designed to assist both beginning and existing young farmers with strengthening their business plans for their respective farms. Workshops are organized by the provincial young farmers’ organizations, with the Forum arranging speakers.

The Forum is active across all of the provinces, and began implementing the best management practice workshops last year. Richardson says it’s hoped to increase the number of workshops held in 2010 to three. The Forum held two workshops in 2009.

In addition to the business workshops, the money will be used for organizing meetings to bring together young farmers from across Canada, allowing them to exchange ideas on solving the problems of young farmers. Funding will also be instrumental in supporting the provincial young farmers’ organizations and providing increased information to young farmers through the Forum’s website and newsletter.

The main goal of the forum is to share information which will help people become better farmers, mainly through business training.

Funding the Forum has been under discussion for about two years. The agreement was finalized in October and Sunday's announcement took place at the Forum’s annual meeting in Niagara Falls. BF