Table of contents
No headers
Topic: Why do young farmers have to work off the farm to fund entry and work on farm. Why does this apply only to farming? Can the province mandate an agricultural component in public education (grade school)?
Facilitator: Richard Barber
Attendees: Dudley Shannon, Margaret Lesage, Brian Tolls, Charles Forman, Kelly Daynard, Keith Ske?, Ron Sleeth
Notes:
- Farming's the only occupation where people have to work off the farm to support their on-farm job (habit!)
- Large farms need that student as soon as they graduate; smaller farmers can't afford the salary for that student.
- Huge investment to fund a young farmer to start - the income isn't there the day he/she comes home from school.
- A few high schools have started educational programs for students - these are few and far between though.
- Frontenac - some farm-specific trades courses that cater to farm children.
- Not profit in most farming operations to sustain that young person early on.
- The majority of farmers come up "through the ranks" - taking over farms from prior generations. Very expensive to get started on their own without that family farm to become involved with. The profitability isn't there to do that.
- Today's farms are so heavily capitalized.
- Can't start with one cow or five pigs - need to start big with a large capital investment.
- If you want to start out on your own in any business, you often need to have another income while your business grows. This isn't unique to agriculture. Another income to fund your passion. The amount of money that it costs to farm is unique though - it's not like starting up another small business.
- More profitability in agriculture would help solve this problem.
- Dairy industry is looking at "giving" a certain amount of young farmers quota if they buy additional quota - and have to pay back in a number of years. This would help young farmers get established. Have to start up on another farm not attached to their parents.
- Would cost about $450,000 plus the cost of the farm.
- Average age of a farmer is about 57 - need to encourage young participants.
- Land Link/Land Trust programs in New England
- Ontario government had proposed a mentorship program - no takers. Big dollars, big risk. Fear of being left out to dry. Too much instability.
- May see a cycle where there are a lot of smaller farms again - with part time farmers.
- Energy crops may create new options for crops.
- Rural community has no political clout any more. Farmers can't "elect" anyone. There are no rural ridings any more.
- A lot of counties have farm education programs for students - the problem is getting teachers interested in this. Agriculture in the Classroom is a wonderful program but teachers just aren't interested - too many subjects to teach in too short of a time.
- With budget cuts, teachers have problems affording buses. Also huge liability issues and insurance costs associated with those events.
- Need to find ways of making agriculture more interesting - agro-tainment - where students and teachers learn and are entertained at the same time.
- Agriculture in the Classroom
- Teachers don't have time to just teach about agriculture - have to come up with a way of incorporating all subjects into the unit - agriculture, environmental science, geography, etc.
- Many farmers have strict biosecurity protocols - aren't able to accept visitors.
-
