As the spring thaw approaches, farmers across Canada are getting ready to strike out into the fields for another year.
In Saskatchewan, March 3rd to 9th has been named ‘Agriculture Literacy Week,’ and Farm Credit Canada, the provincial government and non-profit group ‘Ag in the Classroom’ are taking the opportunity to promote the agriculture industry to students.
“We’re trying to get the message out that it’s actually a great future career,” said Ron Podbielski, Vice-President of Communication and Corporate Social Responsibility with Farm Credit Canada.
The three partners are teaming up to bring producers into classrooms across the province to speak about the industry, and more than 400 students were given the opportunity to try hands on activities at the Saskatchewan Science Centre in Regina.
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The idea is to dispel the image that agriculture is a dying industry.
“Sometimes the message was that there wasn’t a career in the future for farms, that farms were going the way of the dinosaur,” added Podbielski. “Really, what’s happening is the opposite.”
This push to engage youth became even more urgent after 2011 Census figures showed the industry is quickly aging. For the first time in history people over the age of 55 made up the biggest block of farmers at 48.3 per cent. By contrast, just 8.2 per cent of farmers were under the age of 35.
“Countries around the world are increasing the demand for food, and we’re actually going to have a shortage, so we need to talk to kids that there are wonderful careers that they can have in the field of agriculture,” said Podbielski.
In Canada, one of every eight jobs is in some way dependent on agriculture, and in Saskatchewan that impact is even more acute.
“There are 50-thousand jobs in agriculture these days besides the people who actually farm in this province,” said Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart. “So it’s far bigger in that way than even the great industries like oil and gas and mining.”
The hope is that as the baby boomer generation of farmers moves towards retirement, the kids going through the school system now, and learning lessons about the industry, will be ready and excited to fill the gap.
“It’s a wonderful lifestyle, and anyone that’s experienced with farming knows that it’s just a great way to raise kids, it’s a great experience,” Podbielski said. “I hope that some of the kids here today will get to see that in one way or another.”
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