Feeding Your Future

3 days ago

Looking for new employees to support your farm or agri-food business in Southwestern Ontario? Register for FREE as an employer at the next #FeedYourFuture virtual career fair on Wednesday May 19. Visit our website to register: ow.ly/AFge50EKWvF ... See MoreSee Less

Feeding Your Future

2 weeks ago

"The Thunder Bay community is very isolated but this fosters deeper connections and collaboration between farmers to help each other succeed"

Introducing our next #FeatureYourFuture spotlight, Mike Visser!

Mike grew up in Owen Sound and now lives in Thunder Bay, Ontario where he owns & operates a veal farm. As part of his business, My-Pride FARM, Mike also markets his products through direct consumer sales.

Mike's parents didn't have any involvement in agriculture but his grandparents were dairy farmers. Right from the beginning, he had a strong interest in the farm and helped his grandparents as often as he could. This led him to pursue a Diploma in Agriculture from Kemptville College where he graduated in 2002.

Being a part of 4-H Ontario played a big part in broadening Mike's horizons. He had the opportunity to explore different avenues in agriculture and learn what happens beyond his grandparents dairy farm. Having an open-mind to different opportunities led Mike to his current career. He always imagined dairy farming in Owen Sound, but this gradually changed after college.

A few of Mike's friends from college lived in Thunder Bay and after each visit, he became more familiar with the area. Mike acknowledged that the veal market was small, so he seized this opportunity and moved to Thunder Bay. He is very grateful for the strong community he has developed as well as the success he has experienced with his business.

Mike never expected to be involved in direct marketing and agriculture business, but he has learned a lot and had great mentors along the way. He recognizes that farmers have a lot of determination & positivity which are necessary attributes to deal with all of the ups and downs in this industry. ... See MoreSee Less

Feeding Your Future

3 weeks ago

Gain insight from two Ontario dairy farmers, Jayne Dietrich & Rose Keunan, on how to retain your farming team members in a competitive labour market.

Watch this webinar to learn easy tips & tricks to improve workplace culture on your farm: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZnijp3snDE ... See MoreSee Less

Feeding Your Future

4 weeks ago

Register now for the Ontario Safety & Awareness Training Certificate while it is still offered at a discounted rate!

Looking for more details on what this program has to offer? Visit our website to access a detailed course syllabus ow.ly/FCWd50ErZXY ... See MoreSee Less

Feeding Your Future

4 weeks ago

"Like any industry, it is important to address negative commentary and fix the messaging, especially when it comes to our food system"

Introducing Emily Sharma, this week's #FeatureYourFuture candidate, originally from Manotick, Ontario!

Emily grew up in a suburban area just outside of Ottawa which exposed her to a rural environment, but not agriculture directly. In March 2021, she began working for the Royal Botanical Gardens as a Communications Intern. Months prior to this, Emily became a dedicated volunteer for Farmwork to Feed Canada as a writer and logistics support member.

With a long-standing interest in public communications and messaging, Emily pursued a degree in Communications Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University. She graduated in 2019 and found it was difficult to gain entry level experience in public relations. In addition to strain from the pandemic, it became very challenging to find a job she was interested in.

Emily began volunteering for Farm Work to Feed Canada, a volunteer based organization that publishes relevant issues and challenges faced in Canadian agriculture. This opportunity instantly turned things around for her, allowing her to work with collaborative and experienced professionals in communications and marketing across the country. As a writer, she gained real-world experience writing & pitching stories as well as developing a professional network.

As an additional benefit, Emily also learned a lot about how the agriculture industry works and all of the technical elements needed to support the agri-food system. She has a strong interest in the sustainability and humanitarian side and has enjoyed exploring these topics through research and interviews.

This experience was a great talking point to secure the job she has now based on the knowledge and support network she has gained. Emily has developed a better appreciation for what it takes to get food from farm to table and all of the challenging elements that farmers face. ... See MoreSee Less

Feeding Your Future

1 month ago

Check out the Ontario Agriculture Worker Safety & Awareness Certificate for new farm workers! ow.ly/X54950Eh17W

Registrants have been very happy with the practical knowledge shared in this program for any new workers or for those that need a refresher course ⬇️ ... See MoreSee Less

Feeding Your Future

1 month ago

"I am always amazed where agriculture can fit into a conversation, and how being open to understanding agriculture can lead you to a job in a variety of different fields."

Meet the next #FeatureYourFuture candidate, Claire Coombs, originally from Kanata Ontario!

Claire grew up in the suburbs of Ottawa with her family, having very little connection to agriculture. She now works as an instructor at Algonquin College - Perth Campus for the Business-Agriculture Program and thus far, Claire has developed four courses for the program and teaches agronomy-based courses.

Claire earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences from the University of Waterloo and also decided to pursue her Masters in Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph. Her interest in the environment was the first link to her integration into the agriculture sector, although this was a slow transition.

After graduating from Waterloo, she got a job working for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), collecting data by scouting berry fields for insects. This position taught Claire a lot she didn't know about Ontario agriculture along with the variety of skills and knowledge needed to work in the industry. This summer position also influenced her decision to study nutrient management during her Masters. Her research project was based at the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus, where she was thrown into the world of agriculture. Claire was blown away by the passion the people around her had surrounding agriculture.

Since Claire was young, she wanted to be a teacher but never imagined that would lead to teaching agriculture. She couldn't be more proud of her students though, and is excited about the variety of career opportunities they have with a diploma in agriculture. Claire makes an active effort to engage with people that are not directly involved in the industry and enjoys sharing her newfound perspective on the world of agriculture.
#FeedYourFuture ... See MoreSee Less