E1-How to Motivate the Younger Generation to be Involved in Farm Activities?

*  to connect with the earth, provide food, and see pride in the work

Agriculture and education have always gone together.  Need to revitalize this.

Have to educate children about agriculture from the culinary aspect, go out to farms, learn how to milk cows, and then the culinary aspect back at the school.

In Quebec, this is part of the educational system.

Younger and new people will see solutions that farmers who do it all the time may not see.

Issue is not enough profitability today.  Struggle right now because of the economy. 

It is the aging population that is successful in farming and not as viable today.

Son of one participant, would have to invest $1 million to take over the small family farm and the return on the investment must be there to take it on.  It makes more sense for them to go into education or another industry than to owe $1 million dollar.

Seeing farming as a viable and sustaining business opportunity, that engages the whole body - physical, emotional spiritual.

Prestige in law or medicine, etc. but not in farming.

People confuse farming with a way of life, but it is a business.  

If young people go into business, this generation would want the highest level of technology available. 

Today it takes the sale of 5 calves to pay for one tank of diesel fuel, where it used to take 1 calf.

Although young family farmers like the work, the profitability.  Inputs have gone up, mortgages have gone up, but profits haven't kept up with it.

Trying to get more dollars out of the tourism industry, and now working on how to get those dollars to purchase.

Farmers are now buying or leasing more land, to be able to justify the purchase of large pieces of equipment with extremely high costs.

Technology makes it easier to do things but you don't necessarily make more money on it.

Is this the life you want to live, though, with all of this technology?  Now, wanting to go back to doing the work by hand, have a longer to be more organic, and it is motivating

In this area, 7 CSA's are young people.  CSA is Community Shared/Supported Agriculture.

It is a lifestyle.  A lot of young people are chosing this.  Have to farm in a new way, environmentally friendly, in a way that is also sustainable in the long run.

Most farms also farm other farms and cattle on vacination program, grass fed, clean water, etc. Firm believer in being environmentally friendly and insist on it.  

Used to pay much higher interest rates (1980's) 25% interest, but now you can get financing at around 10%, so it is a good time to invest in farming.

The current situation is forcing people to ask questions about: where is the food coming from, can I get food locally, what is in my food, how can I encourage local growth and consumption, as opposed to cheaper products shipped from outside of the area.

There are other opportunities within the scope of farming -- processing food, local branded products and people who want to be involved in packing, branding, urban agriculture, etc. -- other than working rural land.

There is no one answer for everybody in farming.  Farmers can adapt to the land and situations that they individually faced.

People are feeling so disconnected from others these days that there is an appeal to farm grown, connecting with the farming community, knowing that the food is local, and really having a reason to connect with others.

Identified as a barrier: a new young farmer who doesn't have connections to the local farmers.  It is also a barrier not to know anything about farming, as many farms have been passed down from generation to generation.  

CRAFT - Collaborative Regional Alliance in Farmer Training, provides internship opportunities on farms. Letting people without an agricultural background experience farming, get to know the business, and decide whether or not to pursue farming.   

Must demystify and de-stigmatize farming more because young people don't have enough information about it in order to want to pursue it. 

Barrier because the information is not plentiful on the internet, which is where the younger generation is most familiar.  How can we provide the link to share the information from the older generation to the younger generation?

Marketing and retention and awareness is necessary in order to bridge the gap.

Misconception that the farming community is a closed community but if the farming and agricultural community wants retention and growth and sustainability, it requires opening up the opportunity for younger generation to learn about it and understand more about it.  

Perhaps starting more community events to see what is there and get a glimpse of what the lifestyle is.  

Have to start young.  Little kids love farms and are naturally interested in them.  Need to open up the opportunities to have farm experiences.  

Culinary tourism is helpful to draw people into the industry and allow them to become more interested. 

Mentoring program and awareness is necessary to bring young people interested  or at least to show farming as an option.

Idea of "Farmers Awareness Network" to bring local farmers into schools to share their experiences with the students.  Two farmers in group are asked by their students and teachers to come in to talk about farming.  Perhaps this can be a more formalized project.

Kids used to be given the day off school to attend fairs and get them involved in agriculture.

Want to sell the idea of schools or organizations knowing what they are eating and buying local only.

The University of Toronto partnered with Local Foods Plus in Sept 2006 to bring sustainable local food to St. George's campus residences and cafeterias through LFP's network of Ontario-based producers and processors. A similar initiative at the University of Guelph offers a local food section in their cafeteria. 

Who do teachers go to find a farmer locally to talk in the schools?  Perhaps the Argricultural network can have a list of farmers available that can volunteer to talk to students.

Making the information assessable: not an Ontario-wide Agricultural network.  So many organizations exist with diversified agendas.

Younger generation wants to make more money and do less work.  Farming is labour intensive and profitability is not as high.

Demystify the notion that farmers are not a respected industry. Farmers have to know mechanics, accounting, economics, biology, the weather. They have to know how to plan and organize, how to run a business, promote and market their products, etc.

Media should not perceive farmers as less respectable than bankers and lawyers and entrepreneurs, etc.  Business suits and glamorous occupations, etc. are not associated with farming, even though farming is a high-tech, very professional industry that is often a multi-million dollar business.

Changing the perception of farming is what is most necessary to demystify and destigmatize the industry as a professional, valuable, and significant endeavor. 

Encourage the idea that diversification of products and crops and creative ideas can be integrated with the traditional farming industry which can motivate the younger generation to become involved in the global market, the local market, and in and industry that has budding opportunities.

More interaction in schools is a great start. 

We need food to survive, so it is an industry that will always have a market.

What happens next? 

The New Farm Project is a resource link.