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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2007-05-30, Page 9The Huron Expositor • May 30, 2007 Page 9 News New stats show declining number of young farmers Local farm leaders unsurprised since industry still fighting for government help Aaron Jacklin work. "The actual buy -in cost is prohibi- Eighty-five of the 785 farm opera- tive," he says, noting that for people tors in Huron East were under the in their 20s, there are any number age of 35 in 2006, according to new of other things they could be doing numbers from Statistics Canada. with the large amounts of money That's 10.8 per cent. required to start and own a farm. Four hundred twenty are between Anecdotally, he knows of some 35 and 54 years old (53.5 per cent) farmers who are encouraging their and 280 are over 55 years old (35.7 kids not to become farmers. per cent). Hill says that while he doesn't Huron East isn't alone. Central think that's very common, there are Huron has 12.2 per cent under 35, people out there doing that. He says 49.1. per cent between 35 agriculture isn't a very attractive and 54 and 35.5 per lifestyle and that the cent over 55. Bluewater financial rewards has 8.6 per cent under aren't spectacular. 35, 54.3 per cent Huron East Mayor between 35 and 54 and Joe Seili says that 37.1 per cent over 55. when farmers look at These numbers are their lives, they proba- similar to those for bly ask themselves if Huron County, Ontario that's the kind of life and Canada as a they want for their whole. children and grand - The numbers are also children. not shocking to anyone "That's a question in the industry, accord- only they can answer," ing to Stephen he says. Thompson, president of Nichol says he's seen something of the other side too, the young peo- ple going into the field. He's talking about the Bridges to Agriculture secondary school co- operative education program from several years ago that tried to steer more students into agriculture. He said there were well over 100 students in the program and they tracked the participants after they left. They could be split into four roughly equal groups. One quarter decided agriculture wasn't for them, another quarter went on to study at the University of Guelph's agriculture program, another quarter went into agri-busi- ness and the remaining quarter went home and took over the family farm. The program ended when they ran out of funding. Thompson says that if the number of farm operators under 35 contin- IMIZIEMIND the Huron County Federation of� Agriculture. "They're not surprising at all," he says. He says that when you look across the industry - especially the grain sector - you'll see that Canadian farmers are at a distinct disadvan- tage to their heavily government subsidized American counterparts who can freely trade across the bor- der. He points out that when both Canadian and American farmers pay the same prices for herbicides, machinery and all other input costs, but American farmers can get up to $100 an acre in subsidies, it's no surprise that more young people aren't entering the industry. "Why would people invest in a future where they're at such a dis- advantage?" he asks. Bev Hill describes himself as an old farmer. "Very simply put," he says, "the financial returns from agriculture are at a level that constitute a deterrant." He runs a grain elevator on his farm and when they look at the youngest people on their customer list, they see the same people who were the youngest on the list 20 years ago. Paul Nichol says that from his perspective as the economic devel- opment manager with the Huron Business Centre in Seaforth, eco- nomic and societal factors are at `Very simply put, the financial returns from agriculture are at a Ievel that constitute a deterrant,'-- Huron County fanner Bev Hill Congratulations Vista Villa Farms on your 40th Anniversary! From your friends at Hill and Hill Farms Ltd. River Ridge Farms Ltd.) ues to drop, eventually we're going ernment have been bending over to see the farm population composed backwards to bring automobile entirely of the baby boom manufacturing invest - generation who have ments into Ontario. retired from other "They've got to stop careers to come home preening each other, and take over their sit down and get to parents' farms. work," Seili says. "A farmer will be Thompson isn't opti- someone with grey mistic, saying that hair, if they have any they've made "every at all," he says. reasonable representa- "It's a lack of govern- tion" of the problem ment will power to that they can and it maintain competitive- hasn't made a differ- ness and an open bor- ence. der," Thompson says. He says it's some- Seili, who also works thing of a self-fulfilling in the industry, s the municipality is cerned, and that provincial and federal should be too. "It's hard to chew on or Ford," he says. Seili says that Quoted 'A farmer will be someone with grey hair, if they have any at all,' -- Huron County Federation of Agriculture president Stephen Thompson j prophecy, since as the farm population ages, farmers tend to vote with a mind toward age related issues instead of agricultural issues. Bev Hill says, "An industry that can't attract new blood is ultimately doomed." ays con - both the governments both your levels Chevy of gov- World No Tobacco Day May 31, 2007 Ontario Celebrates the 1y' Anniversary of the Smoke -Free Ontario Act Smoke -Free Ontario • Prevents youth from starting to smoke. • Reduces exposure to second-hand smoke. • Helps people quit smoking. Huron County Health Unit Smoke -Free because of you