The federal government is giving a boost to local students trying to get their feet wet in the farming sector.
Newmarket-Aurora MP Tony Van Bynen has announced $14,000 in funding for the Newmarket-based Ontario Water Centre, which will go toward the organization's young agricultural entrepreneur program.
The funding will aid the program that is vital to ensuring the next generation of farmers, said Ontario Water Centre spokesperson Jennifer Harrison.
“In the agriculture industry, there’s a bit of a loss coming through the next generation that aren’t encouraged, who don’t see the opportunities to follow in their family footsteps and continue on a family farm,” Harrison said. “Attracting people that want to get into this field is really important, I think. For the future of not only the industry, but all of us.”
The funding is coming from the Youth Employment and Skills Program under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, providing a wage subsidy for employers who hire youth for agricultural jobs. A total of $3.7 million is available in the funding pool.
The Ontario Water Centre has run its program at the Clearwater Farm in Georgina for approximately five years, Harrison said. The multi-year postgraduate program offers young individuals the chance to study and learn about farming to pursue it as a career.
“Clearwater Farm is really grateful for the support from the federal government,” she said. “What it does is really subsidize the program, that our farmers have access to not only our land, but also our tools and infrastructure.”
York Region farmers have expressed concerns about challenges producing in the area as land prices rise and agricultural lands get rezoned. Young farm operators are declining, with StatsCan reporting in 2021 only 8.6 per cent of farmers were young operators, down from 9.1 per cent in 2016.
Harrison said they offer a flexible program for youth to try this type of work and learn about the different aspects of it. The farm also offers community engagement, with a summer Saturdays program offering a farmers market and nature programs starting June 18.
“This is a way of farming that is good for the land and our water systems and, of course, good for us as the people who eat the vegetables at the end of the day,” she said.
