Reading Time: 3 minutes An Alberta farm kid is opening up the world of agriculture for other youths by distributing free learning kits. Luke Silinski, 17, grew up and lives on a farm in the Beiseker area. He has a passion for agriculture technology and wants to share it. Since 2021, Silinski has been distributing agricultural boxes that he […] Read more
Alberta teen shares passion for agriculture through education
Free “content packs” delve into entomology, agronomy, plant and soil health
Youth Employment Program has March 27 deadline
Reading Time: < 1 minute Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada recently announced an investment of approximately $13 million to enhance the Youth Employment and Skills Program and to help support approximately 1,200 jobs for youth in the sector. The program is now accepting applications. It offers support for 50 per cent of wages to a maximum of $14,000 to agriculture employers […] Read more
Schoepp: We need to get past the perception that ag is ‘just farming’
The sector has to attract bright young people but first we need to get rid of old stereotypes
Reading Time: 3 minutes Just what is agriculture to youth who are looking at career choices? That was one of the questions asked by Nuffield Scholar Claire Peltzer, whose 2020 report focused on attracting youth into agriculture. The short answer is that agriculture is considered “farming” and does not include the existing plethora of career opportunities. The fields of […] Read more
Agricultural Youth Council members introduced
Jobs for next generation also come online
Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has named the 25 young people chosen to sit on the inaugural Canadian Agricultural Youth Council. Members of the council (see list below) are expected to offer suggestions on government priorities and identify problems and solutions for Bibeau. “That was quite a challenge actually, because we received over 800 candidates,” Bibeau […] Read more
Forget the jokes about millennials – the kids are all right
Yes, this new generation can be confounding but take a closer look at what they bring to the table
Reading Time: 3 minutes You are staring at your millennial child as though they just dropped from the sky. You don’t get them. They don’t get you. It’s the first week of the millennial employee’s job. Things are going OK. They talk a lot, snack a lot, and generally hang around. Somehow the project gets done, you have not […] Read more
Duration limit lifted from foreign worker program
Canadian farm groups are among the sectors hailing Ottawa’s decision to axe the cumulative duration rule, or “four-in, four-out” policy, which stood to sideline temporary foreign workers from the Canadian market. The federal government announced last Tuesday (Dec. 13) it would lift the restriction, effective immediately. The cumulative duration rule had been in place in […] Read more
Young Speakers registration now open
Deadline for entrants is Sept. 30
Reading Time: < 1 minute The deadline for entering the Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture competition is Sept. 30, and the organization has a new website making it easier to register. The topics for 2016 are: What is the impact of public opinion on Canadian farmers? How would you explain a GMO to a non-farmer? What does the next generation […] Read more
New speech competition for young Albertans
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture is holding an inaugural public speaking competition for Alberta youth to share their passion about the agricultural industry. The competition will be held during the Calgary Stampede on July 13 and offers youth ages 11 to 24 an opportunity to share their views on a topic important to agriculture. […] Read more
Making room for youth — and youthful thinking — in farming
Young farmers love technology and are excited by change, but they’re often penned in by the walls of tradition
Reading Time: 4 minutes Farmers often lament the lack of youth in agriculture. I would argue that this is not true — there are a lot more baby strollers than walkers at major agricultural conferences, especially ones where technology is highlighted. There may be fewer young farmers, but the young men and women farming today have a broader reach […] Read more
Beef research council putting out the welcome mat for young researchers
Many new researchers are born overseas or are unfamiliar with the Canadian cattle industry
Reading Time: 3 minutes Worried by the prospect of losing rising young stars, the Beef Cattle Research Council is reaching out with a mentorship program that matches scientists new to the Canadian cattle scene with industry vets. “We want to take researchers with great technical skills and make sure they stay within our industry,” said Andrea Brocklebank, executive director […] Read more
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