The Rural Voice, 2006-11, Page 22SHAPING FARMING'S FUTURE - TOGETHER
With so few young farmers around it can be a lonely profession but the
Young Farmers Forum helps bring young people together to learn,
compare note
By Keith Rouln
Being a young farmer today can
be an isolating experience so
going to the Ontario Young
Farmers Forum can be an
opportunity to meet other young
farmers in a similar position, says
Julie Danen of Shakespeare, a recent
participant in the conference. •
The 2006 Ontario Young Farmers
Forum (OYFF) is scheduled on
Sunday, November 19 and Monday,
November 20 at the Doubletree
International Plaza Hotel in Toronto.
and organizers are hoping to attract
60 young farmers ages 18-40, from
all commodities and corners of the
province. The one -and -a -half-day
Forum boasts respected speakers
from across Canada with a focus on
opportunities and changes affecting
young farmers and their future.
For Danen, the biggest value of
going to the forum was to meet other
young farmers in a similar stage in
their careers as she and her husband
Ed. "You don't feel you're quite so
alone" after talking to other young
farmers about the problems faced in
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18 THE RURAL VOICE
getting started and building a farming
career.
There's also value in listening to
the speakers at the conference she
says and she's particularly impressed
by the line-up for this year's Forum.
"They're getting better at planning it
every year," she says.
This years' theme, "The best way
to predict your future is to create it",
is said by organizers to reflect
exactly what the Forum is about. In
the late 1990s, OYFF was developed
through the interest and
determination of a few young
farmers, Junior Farmers Association
of Ontario, Ontario Federation of
Agriculture board of directors and
OFA field staff.
Agenda highlights include:
Elaine Froese, the Forum's
keynote speaker, whose topic is
"Planning for Change: The Cycle of
Renewal". Froese has been described
as a high energy encourager — she
farms in southwestern Manitoba with
her husband running a certified seed
business. She started encouraging
farm families over 2(1 years ago as a
professional home economist. She
has spent many hours at farm kitchen
tables with families.
"Seeds of Encouragement" is the
name of Froese's business and her
monthly column in Grainews, a farm
paper that ,reaches 50,000 readers. As
a columnist and speaker to many
rural audiences, her practical and
from -the -heart -style has inspired
many families to revitalize their
relationships and farm businesses.
Panel Discussion: On -Farm
Alternative Energy Methods
Featured on the panel are Corb
Whale speaking on operating an
anaerobic digester using cattle
maanure; Russell Carroll with
information on a biomass .generator
for his greenhouse business;
Seaforth-area farmers Bob and Carol
Lemming on wind energy and Ted
Cowan, OFA Researcher speaking on
Standard Offer Contracts for selling
your power to the provincial grid.
"Food Trends: Consumer Needs
and Wants" - Helen Prinhold, Food