The Canadian Government has announced two initiatives “that will help to identify opportunities and address issues facing the next generation of farmers,” according to the press release. The announcement was made at the Ontario Young Farmers Forum in Toronto, November 19. today an investment for two initiatives .
The Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) will receive an investment of $202,000 to conduct an in-depth assessment of current and past agricultural leadership programming to identify where gaps exist and find the best solutions for addressing those gaps. This major review will build on past agricultural leadership programming, such as the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP), and on results from research and pilot projects conducted by the ROI to help them develop a comprehensive strategy that will set the direction for future agricultural leadership programming in Ontario.
The Junior Farmers’ Association of Ontario (JFAO) has received an investment of $53,500 to assess issues facing new farmers in the province. This project will look at barriers that restrict the access of new entrants to farming as well as the opportunities that exist for this key demographic group. A steering committee made up of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, FarmStart, TD Canada Trust, Bank of Montreal, and 4-H Ontario provides guidance for this study. Interim results from this study are being presented at the Ontario Young Farmers Forum.
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