Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Careers in Agriculture Are NOT Attractive to most consumers. Will this hurt our ability to hire non farm employees?

Careers In Agriculture Are Rewarding, Says FCC

Recent FCC survey results about potential careers in agriculture paint a challenging picture of the industry.

Canadian consumers who took the survey chose “weather-dependent,” “struggling,” “under-recognized,” “underpaid” and “essential” when asked to choose the top five words from a list associated with the agriculture industry. Producers surveyed chose nearly identical words.

“It’s obvious that both farmers and consumers recognize that there are challenges associated with agriculture,” says FCC President and CEO Greg Stewart. “It’s surprising that the words chosen did not focus on opportunities. There are so many success stories in agriculture and related industries that counter this perception.”

At the same time, a national FCC Vision Panel survey showed that optimism among producers remains high. Results show that 80% of producers would recommend a career in agriculture to a family member or friend. On the other hand, only 21% of consumers would consider a career in agriculture, and 27% would encourage someone else to pursue it. Although farmers recognize the challenges inherent in the industry, they still would encourage others to get involved in it.

From growing crops to processing and exporting, agriculture includes areas such as food, technology, health, energy and the environment, and employs one in eight Canadians.

“Agriculture matters. It’s a major Canadian industry and a noble career option,” says Stewart. “It’s amazing to know you’re part of something big. Right here in Canada, producers positively affect people on the other side of the world. We hear that from customers every day. We need to share this information with consumers and young people who are making important career choices.”

FCC is deeply committed to the success of Canadian agriculture and is working to educate the public about its potential and possibilities.

Source: Farm Credit Canada

Click Here to Review the Project Research Data

Views: 194

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joe Dales on September 22, 2011 at 9:41am

Check out the data slides on the link.

I am very concerned about Agriculture's ability to attract smart employees in the future when there are so few farm kids left.

Does anyone else have an opinion.

Joe Dales

Permalink Reply by Carolyn Lee on September 23, 2011 at 3:20am

I agree, I think it is very interesting how there is a high unemployment rate, especially in the US, and yet some companies/farms are having a hard time finding employees. It just means that there are not enough people taking agriculture programs in college and university. We need to find a way to encourage young people to consider all of these diverse opportunities!

Carolyn Lee

Permalink Reply by Kevin Stewart on September 24, 2011 at 5:38am

Here is video on this topic we covered a few years ago.

 

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Agriculture Day Highlights the Importance of Public Research for Prairie Farmers

As Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) works through research and staffing changes, clear communication will be key for Alberta farmers and seed developers as they plan for the next phase of Canadian agricultural innovation. Today’s Agriculture Day is a good moment to recognize the people, partnerships, and public institutions that keep Canadian agriculture competitive, resilient, and innovative. It’s also a natural time to reflect on how agricultural research in Canada is changing, and why transparency and communication matter to the people who rely on that work every season. AAFC is currently in a period of transition. Like many federal departments, it is navigating workforce adjustments and internal decisions that will shape how its research programs operate in the years ahead. So far, aside from occasional confirmations to media about closures and layoffs, AAFC has not publicly released formal details on the changes underway. That’s understandable. Staff deserve time to make

Register today: SeedWorld Webinar

Save your spot AAFC research cuts have put new pressure on Canada’s plant breeding pipeline — especially in Western Canada, where crop innovation is essential to competitiveness, diversification, and long-term resilience. This webinar convenes leaders from across the seed and crop development system to ask a simple question: If we could design the ideal plant breeding model for Western Canada today, what would it look like? If Canada wants to remain globally competitive, plant breeding can’t be treated as optional infrastructure. This session is a timely conversation about what needs to change — and what could be built.   Attendees can expect to learn: How AAFC research cuts are impacting plant breeding in Western Canada What an “ideal world” plant breeding system could look like today Why a producer-driven, not-for-profit model is gaining attention How plant breeding can be funded sustainably for the long term What needs to change to keep Canada globally competitive in crop innova

Ag in federal NDP leadership candidate plans

Rob Ashton, the national president of the International Longshore Workers Union, addresses ag through an indirect proposal

Indoor Berry Farming Without Bees

Montel and TMU have partnered to test airflow-based pollination technology at MoFarm, aiming to produce indoor berries without bees and strengthen Canada’s year-round food production system.

Market Outlook - Wheat

Bids to Canadian prairie producers have been relatively flat with basis improvements being thrown at producer bids to entice product into the system when needed on futures drops. The market sits comfortably for the time being but will keep its focus onto winter wheat conditions in Black Sea, European Union and United States when they do begin to break dormancy into April. The crops in these regions are believed to have escaped the worst of the winterkill scenarios mid January. Some drought issues in the U.S. winter wheat growing region and some mixed state-by-state analytics in the periodical updates provided on the overwintering crop. Once dormancy breaks, that’s when we will know the best and the market will likely stay sideways until it gets a solid feel of what that crop looks like. Aside from this, demand drive is what the market will need to see to chew away at some of the increased stocks that have ended up on the global balance sheet. As for Western Canadian wheat values, we ar

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service