How can your agriculture organization engage the next generation?

Glacier FarmMedia – The assumption that farmers are busy is true, no matter if it’s the main season or off-season. So, the time they do get to themselves, off their feet and off the farm, is precious.

If farmers decide to join a board or committee and volunteer their time, it signifies a desire to be involved. But when it comes to the next generation, there is a misconception that they don’t want to volunteer.

“Young farmers do want to get involved,” said Kaitlyn Kitzan, board treasurer for the Wheat Growers Association and general manager of Saskatchewan Young Ag Entrepreneurs (SYA).

“They want to get involved in a way that they can learn but also share their perspective and try to find that balance.”

In Kitzan’s experience, companies and organizations aim to involve the next generation but “engagement” has become nothing more than a buzzword and empty promise.

When she moved back home to Yorkton, Sask., Kitzan had several organizations invite her to get involved with their board. She joined a few but quickly realized she was filling a quota of “young person” and “workhorse,” and that her involvement lacked a meaningful connection.

“I was like, wait a minute. Young people bring a really important perspective,” she says. “If we don’t listen to them, we’re missing out on this huge opportunity. And I soon realized that some boards are not really interested in that.”

Not to say that by joining an organization, the new, young participants don’t have to put their work in, she adds.

But if young recruits are doing more than others and they’re not being heard, it becomes a problem.

Conversations built on respect

Kitzan says the main thing young people in ag want is meaningful engagement and a chance to learn without being looked down on or having a sales pitch thrown at them after they ask a few questions.

When speaking with the next generation cohort (e.g., millennials and gen Z), the approach should be respectful conversation. This should apply equally to professional settings as it does to day-to-day interactions.

A way to do that is through collaboration. There are many organizations whose goal is to create more engagement and involvement with the next generation of Canada’s ag industry. The best option is to do it together.

Breaking down silos (the metaphorical kind)

“Ag kind of works in silos,” says Katrina Finke, program manager for Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers (COYF).

“You have your own groups, but the common goal is we can all work together to help promote these young producers and get other stakeholders more involved in each of the programs.”

Many organizations are non-profits, meaning that they’re all competing for the same dollars — and with each operating in the same area of interest, they’re also competing for the same people’s support and time.

COYF’s strategy is to focus on partnership development and sharing resources. It’s the best option for alumni, says Finke, as they have various interests including mental health in ag and the future of farming.

Kitzan has also adopted a strategy of partnership for SYA. She notes more engagement with organizations on the national level, and wants to see more on the provincial level, too.

“There’s not that many young farmers out there. They only have so much time,” she says.

“How do we all sit around the same table and say, ‘How do we work together instead of trying to compete against getting young farmers’ attention?’”

One way to do this is for companies to partner with organizations to support programs that already exist rather than start a new one, such as a mentorship program.

Supporting a mentorship program — either as a mentor, offering sponsorship or in other ways — shows a long-term commitment to young farmers, says Kitzan.

This kind of commitment can also be demonstrated by involvement in education and learning opportunities.

It’s also important to meet the next generation where they are.

Where to find the next generation of ag leaders

There are numerous opportunities to meet the next generation where they’re at, for example, during internships or at clubs and schools — because agriculture in the classroom doesn’t have to mean only teaching youth about dirt and seeds.

Denise Schmidt, executive director of Agriculture in the Classroom Canada, says engagement with the next generation isn’t just engaging with young adults but children as well — and not just the farm kids, but the town and city kids, too.

“We cannot depend fully on young farmers to be the leaders in our industry in the future,” she says.

“Because there’s not enough of them, unfortunately … We are such a diverse agri-food industry that we need to step outside our box.”

There are challenges throughout the agriculture industry, from the farm to politics and technology, rural issues and education. And all need to be tackled.

Currently, there are gaps in engagement with the schools as well, says Schmidt.

More conversations need to happen about the growing number of roles that must be filled within Canada’s agriculture industry in the next decade. Many of those careers require exposure to agriculture first, such as engineers, equipment software developers or biologists and chemists.

“What we’re trying to create, especially in grade(s) nine to 12, is: how do we get them enthused about asking the questions about what their role could be in agriculture,” Schmidt says.

In the end, it’s the companies, associations and organizations who will miss out if their attempts at engagement are insincere. A lack of support for young farmers results in less knowledge about governance, board operations and procedural basics.

And any young farmers who do choose to participate in industry leadership positions will be unlikely to join a group or company that didn’t support them.

“Young farmer boards in every single province are the breeding ground to make great directors for other commissions,” Kitzan says.