NEXT-GENERATION SUPPORT
BY IAN DOIG • PHOTOS COURTESY OF COURTNEE AND COREY LEACH
Presented by the Alberta Young Agrarians, farmers in their first decade of operation can apply to enroll in the Business Mentorship Network between Oct. 1 and 31. Participants may be involved in the production of grain, flowers, fruit, honey, livestock, vegetables and more. The 13th year of the initiative will launch with an Oct. 15 online information session.
Once enrolled, each mentee is paired with an experienced mentor farmer for a full year. The program year formally starts in January and runs through until the following November. Mentor applications are accepted year-round.
Young Agrarians also provides mentees with a customized mentorship workbook, a seven-week interactive webinar series with agriculture experts and conducts a goal-setting process. The webinar examines areas such as farm financial statements, cash flow projections, farm taxes, marketing, cost of production budgets and risk management on farms. New mentors also receive training and are paid $50 per hour for their participation.
Tori Ames is the business mentorship network coordinator for Alberta Young Agrarians.
GrainsWest: How many mentee-mentor pairs went through the program last year?
Tori Ames: Canada wide, our program supported 32 mentee-mentor pairs last year, and we aim to support 40 matches annually.
GW: Why should young farmers participate in the program?
TA: The goal of the mentorship is to help new farmers build a plan so they can continue farming well into the future. Mentors can identify potential pitfalls, share their experience and celebrate their successes. Our mentees have said the Business Mentorship Network has helped them get much farther ahead in the management of their business than they would have without it.
By the end of the mentorship, mentee farmers have built confidence in their decision-making skills. Many mentors help mentees develop long-term plans for their farm businesses that plan for profitability as well as work-life balance. Aside from the business benefits, it’s also a great way to connect with another Canadian farmer who understands exactly the hardships and complications that arise in our climate and market.
GrainsWest: Can both potential mentees and mentors sign up for the information session on Oct. 15?
TA: Both are welcome to attend. Current mentor Bluesette Campbell of Saskatchewan will join us to share her perspective about what it has been like to be involved in the program, and there will be time for questions. It’s a great way to determine if the mentorship is for you and to get more information about how it works.
GrainsWest: Why should established farmers sign up to be mentors?
TA: Mentors who have participated in the program have said working with their mentees has been electric. The energy and enthusiasm of their mentees is contagious and renews their own passion for farming. The connection made during the mentorship sometimes lasts well after the formal process has ended, and the farmers on both sides of the equation benefit from having a new friendly connection in the farming community.
Many mentors choose to participate because they want to share their knowledge with someone who “gets it” and who will use this experience to build something they’re proud of. It’s a wonderful experience to feel like you’re helping to build and support the next generation of farmers in Canada.
The online information session will be held Oct. 15 at 7 pm.
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