Forget the pitchforks and the overalls
Farming sector appeals to new generation
Stephen Vajdik, 28, grew up in a farm community near Chatham, Ont., but says he never considered agriculture a viable career option — until he ventured West.
Vajdik worked in public relations and communications after university but didn’t enjoy the work. “I’d sit at my desk and stare out the window, longing to be outside,” he says. Then his sister married a third-generation farmer and moved to Brandon, Man. “They offered me a job on their farm, so I packed up and headed west.”
Two years later, Vajdik graduated from the agribusiness program at Manitoba’s Assiniboine College where he learned about agronomy, computer applications, risk management, communications, customer service, sales and marketing and business management.
His days are now spent helping his brother-in-law manage Lost Island Farms, an 1,821-hectare grain operation along the Assiniboine River. He’s involved in every part of the business, from determining which crops to grow, to monitoring for pests, harvesting, hauling grain and daily equipment maintenance.
Vajdik enjoys the challenges that go along with farming, he says. “The environment is always changing, whether it’s insect pressures, consumption trends, world markets, the weather or technology.”
The fact that he didn’t grow up on a working farm has helped him to bring a new perspective to operations at Lost Island Farms, says Vajdik. “I don’t see things the same way as people that have been on a farm their whole life and I question traditional practices. This can, and does, help bring about change that improves productivity.”
However, young people who choose a career in agriculture are becoming a scarce commodity, says Steve Peddie, president and agricultural talent scout with Calgarybased AgNetwork. The shortage of talent in the sector has reached a crisis level, he says, and it’s not only putting pressure on the farm community, but associated businesses such as agri-retailers, research organizations, equipment dealers, grain terminal operators and finance companies.
Derrick Turner, president of the Canadian Association of Diploma in Agriculture Programs (CADAP) agrees. Across the country there are as many as three available positions for every graduate, he says. “There’s a lot of potential out there for those with specialized knowledge. We have to make young people aware of the opportunities and get them enrolled in the appropriate programs.”
There’s a misconception that completing a two-year agriculture diploma program means you’ll be limited to working on a farm, adds Turner. But that’s just scratching the surface, he says, citing the president of Cargill Canada who is a graduate of the agribusiness program at Assiniboine College. “He worked his way from giving advice to producers in the field to becoming country president for a multinational organization. Another graduate is involved in international marketing and travels the world.”
An additional issue in attracting young people to the sector is outdated stereotypes, notes Peddie. “Gone are the pitchforks and coveralls of yesteryear. Today, agriculture is a sophisticated, cutting edge, big-business sector where exciting advances in science and technology are taking place.” Research and development are bringing forward new seed varieties, pest management tools and livestock techniques, he says.
“Many people don’t realize how much high technology is involved in farming,” adds Vajdik. “With global positioning and global information systems, we have more information available to make crop decisions and to help determine which practices work best.”