The Rural Voice, 1986-04, Page 26FARM NEWS
Junior Farmers must market themselves
Among the 320 delegates attending the recent Junior Farmers' Conference
in London were these provincial delegates: (front row, left to right) Brenda
Lamont of Teeswater, representing Bruce County; Vicki Innes of St. Pauls,
representing Perth County and (back row) Kim Mullin of Feversham, Bruce
County provincial director and incoming zone director and Florence Ryan
of Mount Carmel, representing Huron County. Photo by Alice Gibb.
As both the rural population
and the number of young Cana-
dians declines, it's going to become
increasingly important for the
Junior Farmers' Association of
Ontario to market itself to the
public.
That was a recurring theme at
the Junior Farmers' "Growing for
the Future" conference held
recently at the Holiday Inn in Lon-
don. The 300 delegates were
presented with a number of
challenges facing both the farming
community in general and their
own organization in particular.
Gord MacKay, a young Embro-
area dairy farmer, noted that his
Junior Farmers' background was
one of the first opportunities he
had to learn organizational and
leadership skills. He urged more
Junior Farmer members to apply
for the international exchange pro-
grams offered annually, noting
that these often prove to be "the
trip of a lifetime."
In relating his own experience in
24 THE RURAL VOICE
establishing his dairy operation,
MacKay told delegates, "The farm
is no longer just a way of life, it's a
business and has to be treated that
way." Pointing out that the
agricultural colleges are already
facing declining enrolments,
MacKay noted Tess people are con-
sidering agriculture or agri-
business as a career. On the plus
side, however, he told delegates
that more farmers are registering
for the OMAF-sponsored short
courses and seminars.
Whether delegates want to farm
or work in agri-business, MacKay
said he recommends getting an
education first. While farm land
prices are still declining, MacKay
emphasized that young people
entering agriculture today must be
better financial managers than ever
before. After graduating from
Centralia College in 1973, MacKay
lived at home and cash -cropped
100 acres for several years,
building up equity before setting
up his own 70 -cow dairy opera-
tion. With a computerized feeding
system, MacKay and his wife can
provide all the on-farm labour re-
quired. They hire custom
operators to do their fieldwork and
haven't made any major
machinery purchases.
Mary Lou Wright, marketing in-
structor at Fanshawe College,
delivered an upbeat talk outlining
how the Junior Farmers' Associa-
tion can market itself to the public
to attract new members.
She told the delegates they must
first identify the group's target
market and then develop a promo-
tion plan. Promotion, Wright said,
can include personal selling or
word-of-mouth communication
about the Junior Farmers' group.
It can also involve mass selling,
which includes both paid advertis-
ing and free publicity and sales
promotion, such as involvement in
trade shows or other events held in
conjunction with other organiza-
tions.
Emphasizing that "competition
for the market you are trying to at-
tract is keen," she advised
members to promote the fact that
Junior Farmers is open to anyone
aged 15 to 29 years of age and to
people living off -the -farm.
Jack Morris, an Essex County
farmer, auctioneer, and municipal
politician, related how his Junior
Farmers' involvement prepared
him to meet challenges later in Life.
Twenty years ago, Morris said,
many rural teenagers like himself
went right from high school back
to the farm "and Junior Farmers
was our post -secondary
education." He added that he met
his wife through Junior Farmers
(noting the organization has
sometimes been jokingly called a
"matrimonial agency") and that
he learned many of his auctioneer-
ing skills at a Junior Farmers'
course in effective speaking.
He praised the organization for
continuing to help its members
develop a feeling of self-worth and
confidence in themselves and for
teaching members how to work
with others in an organizational
setting.
"The Junior Farmers' Associa-
tion of Ontario can take pride in
what it's been. It's had a tremen-