It's Your Turn to Speak up, Young Farmers

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FarmOn.com, an Alberta organization focused on connecting young farmers with resources, information and people to help them get started or continue farming, is launching the #farmvoices movement on April 22, 2013. Also celebrated that day is Earth Day, a fitting day, says board member and farmer Sarah Wray, as farmers are one of the largest caretakers of the land.

The #farmvoices movement is an online and social media campaign to connect consumers and young farmers and ranchers (see the video below). One of the goals of the movement, Wray says, is to increase awareness of what young farmers are doing out on the landscape, to give a voice to a rural population that is working hard to feed everyone’s family, while, at times, struggling to feed their own. On April 22, farmers are encouraged to Tweet or share a photo (using the hashtag #farmvoices) that answers one of three questions: What do you love about farming? How do you care for your land or animals? What challenge to you face that threatens your ability to farm?

While the FarmOn Foundation is Canadian, Wray says the group and movement is gaining momentum in several countries, as many of the challenges facing young farmers are universal. And what’s to be done with this new-found awareness gained through the #farmvoices movement? Wray says that over the longer term the foundation plans to provide a way for consumers to more directly support young farmers through funding of business and professional services, however exactly what that funding model looks like is still under development.

If you cannot see the embedded video, click here.

 

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