Sourcing enough labour remains a challenge for many farmers and agribusinesses across Ontario.

Why it matters: The need for more labour in agriculture is a long-term challenge and can’t be attributed just to the pandemic.

“We’re seasonal so if someone leaves, we need to fill the spots right away,” says Mel Foster, owner and operator of Foster Family Farm in Kemptville, who had a sales and service position available on his farm.

He turned to the Feeding Your Future program, established at the onset of the pandemic by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. 

The Fosters grow 500 acres of strawberries, sweet corn, yellow and green beans, broccoli, squash and pumpkins. Healthy crops reflect the work of a strong team of staff as farming is filled with labour intensive practices. 

In a virtual world, it has been challenging for employers and job seekers to connect on hiring opportunities. Working through AgCareers.com and Feeding Your Future, employers are encouraged to take advantage of a free job matching service to connect with eligible and qualified job seeking candidates. 

“It was a very easy process for us,” said Foster. The job matching service offers the ease of creating and posting a job description through the help of an AgCareers.com employee. This staff member will manage and filter all incoming job applications to ensure qualified candidates that will suit the farm that is hiring.

OFA understands the challenges faced by farmers looking for new hires and is eager to bridge the current labour gap. 

Additional Feeding Your Future projects include virtual career fairs, informative webinars and training opportunities. In combination these services offer the opportunity for employers and job seekers to connect directly, with the additional benefit of training, to ensure job seekers are qualified and prepared to work on a farm. To complement the Ontario Agriculture Worker Safety & Awareness certificate, an additional certificate is in the works and will be ready to launch in early 2022. 

For more information about these services, please visit the website at feedingyourfuture.ca.

Email: feedyourfuture@agcareers.com
Phone: 877-438-5729 ext. 4.
Social Media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn

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Why it matters: The agricultural sector is not only the traditional labour force it once was. With new roles evolving, we must call on diverse disciplines and skill sets to ensure the sector’s future. 

The evolving job market welcomes all interests and backgrounds to create an even stronger and resilient sector. On the Feeding Your Future website, the Ag @ Work page highlights the #FeatureYourFuture social media campaign, sharing career stories of people in the industry to inspire others to consider a rewarding agri-food career. Virtually every field of study and expertise could be of value to the agri-food sector. 

Meena Hassanali works for the Regional Municipality of York as an Agriculture and Agri-Food Business Specialist. She has experience coordinating industry programs and award-winning sustainability resources. Hassanali grew up in Africa and at the age of 19 decided to move to Canada, pursuing a degree in Environmental Sciences at the University of Toronto. Growing up in Kenya, sustainable agriculture was Hassanali’s family’s way of life. This inspired her to combine the world of business with environmental sustainability and without realizing it, she integrated her life and career into the agricultural sector. 

In another case, Conor McGrandles is a digital marketing and communications intern for AgCareers.com and CareersInFood.com. 

McGrandles earned a degree in Communications from Wilfrid Laurier University in addition to a certificate in Public Relations and Digital Marketing from Conestoga College. With no background in agriculture, McGrandles never imagined he would be in a role that encourages people to work in the agriculture sector. He says he has learned so much about the industry and appreciates the transferable skills he has gained in this position. 

Both Hassanali and McGrandles have expressed their appreciation for the community in agriculture that is open to teaching. Many industry initiatives are stepping up to share information about the sector. 

Feeding Your Future has released a Focus on Food and Focus on Livestock video series to showcase experiences from farm owners and employees on farms across Ontario. To complement this video series, a training certificate was developed with the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus. This certificate offers basic on-farm health and safety training to raise awareness for those new to the sector. 

Additionally, Utensil.ca is offering training about the language and culture within agriculture. AgScape has been working with elementary and high schools to provide insight into the agriculture industry and potential careers in the sector. 

Training opportunities to provide knowledge that can be applied to various positions within the agri-food sector are at our fingertips. These initiatives are making great steps towards better cohesion between producers and consumers that can continue to build within the agri-food community. We must embrace the growth of the agricultural sector by welcoming all educational backgrounds and interests.

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The statistic, across all sectors of the economy, is staggering and points to the need for adequate training.

The Ontario agri-food sector, with a diverse range of career opportunities, struggles to find enough qualified workers.

Providing opportunities for training and awareness of the industry improves understanding and prepares new workers for the realities of working on a farm or in a food processing facility.

Since the onset of the pandemic, the Canadian and Ontario governments have invested more than $750,000 in projects to support labour and training needs for new workers in the farming sector.

Through Canadian Agricultural Partnership funding, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) was able to partner with economic development and agricultural commodity organizations to develop short training videos to support the sector.

Biosecurity, integrated pest management, animal welfare, and agricultural equipment are some of the topics covered in the Focus on Food and Focus on Livestock video series. These videos provide the foundation for new workers, but also provide a window into the industry to enhance public trust.

New farm hires starting in the spring may also benefit from the new Ontario Agriculture Worker Safety and Awareness Certificate offered through the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus Business Development Centre in collaboration with OFA.

Topics such as an introduction to farm equipment, crop and livestock operations, hazards on the farm and general health and safety practices are covered to assist farm businesses with training and to provide job seekers with an advantage in a competitive job market.

For more information, visit feedingyourfuture.ca.

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Career opportunities are increasing and a change in skills demand is shaping the next generation.

Employers must understand the expectations of new farm hires and how to address them in order to attract dependable workers.

While agriculture and local food may intrigue today’s curious job seekers in the face of the pandemic, farm employers should make an effort to reflect on their workplace culture and the reasons why employees choose food and farming out of the many career paths available.

Employees expect open communication and transparency, positive recognition and workplace culture, an open learning and skill-building environment, as well as training to support physical and mental health, according to a recent webinar series hosted through the Feeding Your Future initiative.

To retain qualified workers, it is important to view these desires in a positive way, to be open to new ideas, and to appreciate that job seekers want to find a workplace that is rewarding and supportive.

Starting with recruitment, a detailed, yet concise job description appeals to job seekers. The job posting should outline the minimum level of education, skills and experience, as well as salary or wage, which will reduce the candidate pool to key qualified job seekers.

Employers should also be up front and realistic about the less attractive components of the job to convey honesty and transparency. Describe the learning and skill-building opportunities the job can provide, as well as potential career paths from entry-level positions.

Onboarding is another important learning opportunity for new hires. Dairy farm owners Rose Keunan and Jayne Dietrich spoke about their experiences during a recent Feeding Your Future webinar.

Both employers are thorough during the hiring and training process. They make an effort to provide learning opportunities and maintain open communication to address all concerns or questions.

Employers should make their expectations clear, but employee needs should be respected as well.

For more information on the Feeding Your Future initiative, led by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and collaborators, visit feedingyourfuture.ca.

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