Young farmers that could use some free seasoned advice on growing and operating an agricultural business can team up with an experienced farmer through a program offered by Young Agrarians, a farmer-to-farmer network that supports the agricultural industry.
Young Agrarians’ Farm Business Mentorship Network program is gaining traction in western Canada, and the program is accepting applications from young farmers in the three Prairie provinces on an ongoing basis.
The program aims to help young farmers develop business skills and a create strong business foundation to operate a financially sustainable farm business.
Young Agrarians’ Manitoba business mentorship network coordinator Katheryn Loewen said young farmers can access mentorship and educational tools to help them operate their farm business.
“The mentorship program offers mentees 30 hours of mentorship over the course of a year, access to eight business-focused webinars that are all about farm financial management, opportunities to connect with other farmers and build community and loads of helpful resources,” said Loewen.
Mentors are paid to help young farmers. If they’re new to the mentoring process, Young Agrarians can provide them with training.
“It offers mentors $50 an hour for their time, a Train-the-Mentor webinar series for those new to the mentoring process, opportunities to connect with other mentors and build community, and the opportunity to share their knowledge with the next generation of farmers,” said Loewen.
Young Agrarians is a non-profit educational resource network that pairs young farmers in a specific agricultural sector with experienced farmers in order to provide supports and assistance with manage their farm business. The network receives assistance from the federal government, British Columbia, Alberta and several organizations and foundations in various provinces. It helps young farmers develop skills, know-how and confidence by pairing them with experienced farmers. Young Agrarians’ programs support access to land, provide business mentorship, on-farm apprenticeships, community-building educational events and online resources.
This year the Farm Business Mentorship Network program can support up to 10 mentorship pairs from each province – Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
The program originally started in 2013 in British Columbia and expanded in 2022 to Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. To date, it has worked with 163 farmers on 118 farms. They’ve been paired with 75 mentors, according to a Young Agrarians news release.
Business Mentorship Network Program manager Melanie Buffel said the network began recruiting mentees in Manitoba in 2022 and offered mentorships in 2023. It has worked with seven farmers to date, four of whom were focused on livestock and growing vegetables.
“The mentorship pairing considers their production focus and the business goals and needs the mentee have. Where possible, close geographic proximity is also a factor to enable them to meet in person and visit each other’s farms,” said Buffel. “It is nice to have but not an essential aspect of the program as the 30- 35 hours of mentoring happens primarily online and through phone calls.”
The program’s Business Webinar Series covers a wide range of business management, financial and marketing topics, she said. It includes live question-and-answer sessions with expert farmers, and on a regular basis, the network hosts Mentee Kitchen Table sessions to provide peer support.
It was important to launch the program because Canadian farmers are aging and the younger generation is leaving the industry for other careers; under 10 per cent of farmers are 35 years of age and younger. This has serious implications for food security and sovereignty in Canada.
“The motivation to offer this support lies in the reality that of the 1.7 per cent of the Canadian population that farm, just 9 per cent are 35 and younger, making up less than 25,000 farm operators,” said Buffel citing Statistics Canada data. “Many farming families are seeing the younger generation leaving the farm for other career opportunities and each census we see the number of farmers decreasing in Canada. This is a threat to our food security and sovereignty and we are developing supports to encourage new entrants into the industry.”
At the moment, Young Agrarians’ programs are primarily focused on western Canada, but staff are engaged in agricultural conversation at the national level. In addition to the mentorship program, Young Agrarians offers an on-farm apprenticeship program in regenerative agriculture in all four provinces with established farms.
Young farmers who’ve received help through the program have reported an average increase in revenues of 87 per cent, an increase in the volume of food produced by 65 per cent, and an increase of land in production by 42 per cent.
“Learning that I am not alone and that others are trying to contribute to and improve our local food system has had a significant positive impact on my energy and hope for the future,” said 2023 mentee Terra Pombert of Sunflowers Urban Farm (Alberta) in Young Agrarians news release. “This experience has been important for better business planning, focus and confidence in my venture and skills. I have a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses as a farmer.”
To become eligible for the program, farmers must be located in one of the western provinces and have been in business for one to five years. They can be new to farming or are taking/have taken over a family farm. Priority is given to new farmers aged 18-35, but new farmers over 35 are strongly encouraged to apply.
For more information about the program and how to apply, visit the Young Agrarians website: youngagrarians.org Please note, the website shows an application deadline of Nov. 15, 2024, but applications from the three Prairie provinces are being accepted on an ongoing basis.
Young farmers in Manitoba can also contact Manitoba business mentorship network coordinator Katheryn Loewen by email: katheryn@youngagrarians.org
