A Demographic Profiling and Skill Gap Analysis of the Northeast Avalon Agriculture Industry

April 2009

This report has been prepared by:

Lindsey Hewitt Agriculture Project Coordinator Capital Coast Development Alliance (CCDA) 90 OLeary Avenue Parsons Building, 1st Floor St. Johns, NL, A1B 2C7

In partnership with: The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture (NLFA) 308 Brookfield Road P.O. Box 1045 Mount Pearl, NL, A1N 3C9 Funded by: Service Canada

Special thanks to the Steering Committee: Paul Connors, NLFA Michelle Yetman, College of the North Atlantic, (CNA) Ordin Lien, Department of Natural Resources Stephen Dale, Department of HRLE Debra Guillemette, Department of INTRD John Moores, Dairy Farmers of NL Martin Walsh, NL Blueberry Cooperative Darryl Legge, NL Young Farmers

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................ 10

1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Purpose.............................................................................................................. 10 Background ....................................................................................................... 10 Scope................................................................................................................. 12 Methodology ..................................................................................................... 13 Limitations ........................................................................................................ 13 Survey Design................................................................................................... 14 Report Structure ................................................................................................ 15

Section 2.0 Industry Overview ................................................................. 16

2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Business Information ........................................................................................ 16 Commodities Breakdown.................................................................................. 17 Demographics of Primary Farm Operators....................................................... 19 Young Farmers and New Entrants.................................................................... 23 Expansion Plans ............................................................................................... 24 Land Use Planning............................................................................................ 26 Recommendations............................................................................................. 27

Section 3.0 Training Information............................................................. 28

3.1 3.2 3.3 Formal Education Levels .................................................................................. 28 Other Training Acquired................................................................................... 30 Further Desired Training................................................................................... 33

Section 4.0 Employee Information........................................................... 41

4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Paid Employees................................................................................................. 41 Recruitment and Retention ............................................................................... 43 Training for Employees .................................................................................... 48 Recommendations............................................................................................. 51

Section 5.0 Education Options.................................................................. 52

5.1 College of the North Atlantic.................................................................................. 52 5.3 Workshops and Short Courses ............................................................................. 55 5.4 Training in Other Regions ................................................................................ 55 5.5 Public Agriculture Education............................................................................ 58 5.6 Recommendations............................................................................................. 59

Section 6.0 Landscaping Industry............................................................ 60

6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Introduction....................................................................................................... 60 Landscape NL Research ................................................................................... 60 Employment...................................................................................................... 61 Training............................................................................................................. 61

Section 7.0 Cumulative Recommendations ............................................. 63

Section 8.0 Conclusions ............................................................................. 65

APPENDIX A

Survey Items

APPENDIX B

CUMO Overview

APPENDIX C

Farmer Comments

LIST OF FIGURES
Section 2.0 Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12 Figure 13 Section 3.0 Figure 14 Figure 15 Figure 16 Figure 17 Figure 18 Figure 19 Figure 20 Figure 21 Figure 22 Section 4.0 Figure 23 Figure 24 Figure 25 Figure 26 Figure 27 Figure 28 Industry Information Original Listings Breakdown...11 Current Listings Breakdown.16 Commodity Breakdown of Interviewees .................................................... 18 Total Time in Agriculture....14 Total Time Owning Business .................................................................... 20 Age of Farmers in Region.......................................................................... 20 Ages in Husbandry Figure 8 Ages in Horticulture ................................ 21 Years Left in Agriculture ........................................................................... 22 Undecided Individuals by Age.................................................................. 22 Plans for Expansion .................................................................................. 25 Plans for Expansion by Age...................................................................... 25 Expansion Plans by Commodity............................................................... 26 Training Information Additional Training Desired ..................................................................... 33 Additional Training Desired by Age......................................................... 34 Age Versus Desired Training.................................................................... 34 Desired Business Training ........................................................................ 35 Age Versus Desired Business Training .................................................... 35 Horticulture Training Desired................................................................... 36 Husbandry Training Desired..................................................................... 37 General Skills Training Desired................................................................ 38 Age Versus Desired Training in General Skills ..................................... 38 Employee Information Paid Employees......................................................................................... 41 Paid Employees by Sector ........................................................................ 41 Methods Used to Recruit Employees........................................................ 46 Interest in Labour-Sharing ........................................................................ 47 Planning New Hires by Age ..................................................................... 44 Preferred Training for Employees ............................................................ 48

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4 Table 5 Table 6 Table 7 Formal Education Levels by Sector...29 Formal Education Levels by Age Group...30 Training Obstacles.41 Employee Types43 Employee Training Hurdles..51 NSAC Enrollment from Northeast Avalon...54 2007 Newfoundland NSAC Attendees by Program55

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Capital Coast Development Alliance (CCDA), Zone 19, is the Regional Economic Development Board for the Northeast Avalon Region, one of twenty regional economic development boards in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. CCDA is a not-forprofit organization governed by a volunteer elected Board of Directors. Our membership represents the broad sectors of business, labour, municipalities and education. CCDA has been conducting extensive research over the past several years on opportunities and industries that offer potential for economic growth and employment creation, particularly in rural parts of the region. One of the industries identified, has been the Agriculture industry. Consequently, the CCDA, in partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture (NLFA) and funded by Service Canada, undertook a project to develop a demographic profile of the current workforce including types of farming, current and desired skill levels, education levels, and age. The agriculture industry is facing many issues, in the face of various food crises, difficult recruitment and retention and a high average age of farmers. However, there are many opportunities as farmers are increasing their education level and increasing their planned expansion. CCDA interviewed 50% of the known agriculture business owners in the region and found some very telling things. 49% were involved in producing multiple commodities; 53% were involved in horticulture (vegetables, hay, or berries and nutraceuticals,) and 47% being involved in husbandry (poultry, sheep, beef, dairy, egg or turkey). Extremely striking, is the fact that only 3% of farmers interviewed were 29 and below while 70% were 50 or above. This leads into the fact that 34.4% of farmers plan to leave the industry within 20 years time, a further 53.1% were undecided. These undecided individuals had an average age of 61. On a more positive note, 80% of the farms in the region were family farms and will hopefully be passed along. However, even with the current number of farms, the province as a whole only produces 10-12% of the vegetables they consume and less than 2% of the livestock so there is certainly room for expansion. In terms of expansion, 42.4% of agriculture business owners in the region have plans to expand their businesses. It is mostly those 50 and below who have plans to expand their businesses, there are also more plans for expansion in the husbandry sector, as opposed to the horticulture. Therefore, there is a higher average age in Horticulture as well as fewer expansion plans indicated. Education levels and desired future training among farmers were also strongly related to age as well. Overall, 57.6% of agriculture business owners had a high school diploma or less while 30.3% had completed postsecondary education. However, 100% of respondents in the 30-49 age group have obtained at least their high school diploma, compared with 56.3% of those aged 50-69 years and 71.5% of those 70 and above. 5

In terms of desired training in the future, a similar trend can be seen between age and education. Overall, 39.4% were interested in obtaining further training. When broken down by age, 14.3% of those aged 70 or over, 37.5% of those aged 50-69, and 66.7% of those aged 30-49 wanted training in the future. Business training was the most popular type of training selected with 30.3% of agriculture business owners wanting training in this area, followed closely by general skills training with 30%. The top three obstacles to training were: insufficient time to attend; no training opportunities available; and could not afford the training offered. 54.5% of farmers on the Northeast Avalon hire employees, with a higher percentage of husbandry businesses hiring than horticulture. Almost 50% of agriculture employers in the region have difficulty filling positions. As 40% of employers plan on expanding their employee-base, this problem will increase. It has been found that the vast majority of recruitment for labour in the agriculture industry occurs through family and friends and word of mouth. However there is interest in alternative methods of recruiting employees. For instance, 44.4% of agriculture business owners were interested in a labour sharing initiative with a further 25.9% unsure. Currently, 79.0% of agriculture employers offer their employees training. 83.9% believe that further training should be offered to employees in the agriculture industry. More husbandry producers (as opposed to horticulture producers) were interested in further training for employees. On farm and workshop were believed to be the best forms of employee training and their was a large amount of interest in all the skill areas (Business, Horticulture, Husbandry and General). Currently, the closest agriculture institute is the Nova Scotia Agriculture College (NSAC), which has an average of 7 individuals from the Northeast Avalon graduating each year. However, there is no data available as to the proportion of these students that work in the public versus private sector. The College of the North Atlantic is very engaged in the agriculture industry of the province and is open to providing courses that meet the needs of the agriculture industry. Recently, they have completed a training needs assessment for the provinces agriculture industry and are currently in talks with various commodity groups about potential course offerings. In order to generate more interest in agriculture careers and education, more promotion and education is needed for the younger grades through high school. This is the approach in other regions such as PEI, Saskatchewan and others. The Landscaping Sector of Agriculture does much of their own research, including into Human Resource issues. This report does not have any primary research related to the Landscaping industry. However, it does look at many existing reports and found many of the same problems, which exist in other sectors of agriculture such as access to training and difficulty obtaining and keeping employees. The mandate of the CCDA Agriculture Initiative was to identify opportunities and needs within the agriculture industry on the Northeast Avalon. Based on the research, the CCDA has made a number of recommendations. The CCDA will be working with its partners to encourage and support their implementation and taking the lead where necessary.

Recommendation 1: Develop a Farm Registration Act and process similar to those in other Atlantic Canadian Provinces. Recommendation 2: Create support programs for aspiring, new and young farmers to help with training and land access in the Province; a comprehensive entry-assistance process such as that found in Quebec should be examined. Recommendation 3: Develop and deliver workshops and occasional training sessions in the following skill areas: Business: Communications, bookkeeping and recordkeeping, computers and technology (basic) and business planning. Horticulture: Planting, growing and propagation, greenhouse work, irrigation and soil management Husbandry: Animal Husbandry (Advanced), Animal First Aid/Care (Basic) General: Food Safety, Biosecurity Practices, Machine Maintenance and Operation, Environmental Management and Organic Production Other: Profitability enhancement, Human Resources and Recruitment, Succession Planning Recommendation 4: Criteria should be generated to ensure agriculture training and programs that are offered are accessible to business owners and employees and are reflective of a variety of education levels, backgrounds and financial means. Before any training is offered, it should be assessed to ensure it meets this criterion. Recommendation 5: A Pilot Labour-Sharing Program should be explored, akin to the CUMO Program in Quebec to address the part-time and seasonal labour needs of producers in the region. Recommendation 6: The industry should develop partnerships with organizations such as the Elaine Dobbin, The John Howard Society, Choices for Youth, and the Stella Burry Centre to help address labour shortages. Recommendation 7: Promote use of the SWASP Program to Agriculture Business Owners. Recommendation 8: Increase targeted agriculture education, especially towards youth and those considering career changes. This is a long-term solution to labour shortages and succession issues. Partnerships with organizations such as the Service Canada Career Development Centres 7

and Youth Employment Services (YES) and other career-information sources should be fostered.

Recommendation 9: Mechanisms must be explored to make agriculture readily accessible to students in the K12 system. For instance, agriculture in the classroom could be implemented throughout the K-9 grades as well as implementing an agriculture module in the High School Career Development Course. Facilitating agriculture placements in the high school Cooperative Education Courses could provide a service akin to the Green Certificate Program in Alberta. Recommendation 10: Seminars should be organized with Career Development teachers and guidance counselors about the potential of agriculture careers. Also, the creation of school gardens and field trips to community gardens and farms should be encouraged throughout school to increase exposure to and knowledge of farming in our region. Recommendation 11: The Province should explore a pilot apprenticeship program akin to the PEI Model to address the training needs of employees and new entrants to the industry. Recommendation 12: Further research is needed in the following areas: The relative importance of each commodity to agriculture business owners who produce more than one commodity. Types and magnitude of expansion and diversification happening in the region The implications and needs of land-use planning for agriculture in the region Use of under-the-table labour in the industry and its impact on the economy Quantifying unpaid labour by spouses and other family members and its impact on the economy. The state of succession planning for farms in the region and the possible implications to the future of the industry.

Section 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Purpose The purpose of this report is to complete a demographic profile of workers in the agriculture industry on the northeast avalon. This spans everything from age and planned retirement date to current and desired skills and training. Based on the findings, a skillgap analysis on the industry will be performed to identify the next steps needed. 1.2 Background

Capital Coast Development Alliance (CCDA) 1 , the regional economic development board for the Northeast Avalon Peninsula, Zone 19, is the largest in terms of population, with 37.2% of the total provincial population living in this region (according to the 2006 census), but the smallest in terms of geography. Zone 19 is a region of contrasts, with a diverse range of communities from rural areas like Chapels Cove with a total population of 95 to the metro areas like St. Johns with a population of 100,995 according to the 2006 census. Although the employment rate in Zone 19 (66.6%) is relatively consistent with both the Provincial (62.5%) and National levels (68.6%), when we examine individual communities within this region we begin to see disparities. In total, there are six communities where the employment rate is lower than the provincial average 2 .

Much has been said about the positive economic development in urban areas of the Province and this is being reflected in the declining unemployment numbers. For example, the Community Accounts report that in 1996 the unemployment rate in St. Johns stood at 14%, declining to 8.2% by 2006. However, concerns have been repeatedly expressed about this positive economic performance not extending to rural parts of the Province and the region. The unemployment rates for Colliers (32.7%) and Conception Harbour (23.2%) highlight this disparity3 .

The Capital Coast Development Alliance (CCDA) has recently changed its name to the Northeast Avalon Regional Economical Development Board (NEA REDB). However, as this research was undertaken under the name of the CCDA, this report will refer to it as such.

Includes the communities of Bell Island, Marysvale, Avondale, Harbour-Main-Chapels Cove -Lakeview, Conception Harbour and Colliers. 3 www.communityaccounts.ca

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Consequently, CCDA has been conducting extensive research over the past several years on opportunities and industries that offer potential for economic growth and employment creation, particularly in rural parts of the region. A location quotient analysis was completed as part of this research 4 . Not surprisingly, the marine and ocean and public sectors were identified as significant sectors in this region. It also identified possibilities with the agriculture sector. For example, dairy product and beverage manufacturing, were identified as important industries within the region, industries that have particular relevance for the rural parts of our region.

The agricultural sector in this Province includes the following commodity groups blueberries and other small fruits, beef, chicken, dairy, egg, fur, vegetables, greenhouse production, landscaping, Christmas trees, pork, and sheep. It also includes both primary and value-added production. Of the 643 farms 5 in the province, the Federation of Agriculture notes that there are 104 farms in the Capital Coast region, including 33 landscape, 26 horticulture and 13 dairy, as discussed in Section 2.1.1 these numbers have changed since they were initially published.

The economic potential of this industry has been identified in a number of recent studies. The Provincial Department of Natural Resources noted in an August 23, 2006 news release that the agriculture industry has witnessed tremendous growth in large part due to increased production of industrial milk (milk used in dairy products such as cheese and yogurt), food processing (such as Country Ribbon), silage corn production and landscape initiatives. The Departments 2005 Annual report further notes that if the dairy industry, in particular, continues to utilize its industrial milk quota of 31 million litres it could double in size in 11 years (2005-2016). (p.23)

A number of studies both, federal and provincial, have been conducted that highlight the challenges to growth in the industry. Increasingly changing consumer demands,

globalization of the agricultural industry, increasing food safety issues, increasing

4

In brief, a location quotient analysis is a statistical technique that indicates the importance of the employment in a given sector compared to the importance of the employment in the same sector for the reference region. It allows for the identification of potential economic clusters and the focusing of economic development initiatives. 5 Department of Natural Resources, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, webpage.

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environmental issues and challenges, industry image and ongoing labour issues have all been identified. 3 Innovation is critical. New skills and abilities are needed, as advances in science and technology require the development of and access to highly qualified personnel. 4

A study competed by the College of the North Atlantic, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Federation of Agriculture in July 2004, entitled, A Training Needs Assessment of Newfoundland and Labradors Agriculture Industry noted that the lack of human resources was a major impediment to growth in the industry and that attracting laborers to work on a farm is difficult, finding skilled labour is a challenge. (P.14) The study proceeds to identify the training requirements in each of the sectors within the agriculture sector.

This study also notes that todays agriculture workers need good reading, writing and developed mathematical skills, requiring a sound education base. However, the 1991 Task Force on Agriculture completed by the Province noted that 36% of farm operators have less than a Grade 9 education and 60% have not graduated from high school. 5 The 2001 census (2006 census information unavailable at this time) reports that, provincially, 48.9% of the primary agriculture labour have less than a high school graduation certificate. Given the importance of having the appropriately skilled people to support the growth of the industry and take advantage of the educational opportunities, a demographic profile of workers in the sector is needed as a companion piece to the Training Needs Assessment noted above.

For the Northeast Avalon, CCDA undertook a project to develop a demographic profile of the current workforce including types of farming, current and desired skill levels, education levels, and age as a companion piece to the above noted HR plan.

The Canadian Agriculture Human Resource Council (CAHRC) is completing similar research on a national scale. According to CAHRC The agriculture sector has identified
3

A Training Needs Assessment of Newfoundland and Labradors Agriculture Industry: A Plan for Human Resource Development, CNA, Govt of NL and Lab., Federation of Agriculture, July 2004, (pii.) 4 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: Science and Innovation Strategy, May 2006, (p.20). 5 Towards the Next Century, Agriculture in Newfoundland and Labrador, The Report of the Task Force on Agriculture, Govt of NL, February 1991, p 257.

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the need for a complete picture of the complexity and scope of labour shortages within its industry, including the availability of seasonal and harvest workers. The sector has also identified the need to gain a better appreciation of the relationship and implications of the economic and systemic factors preventing todays agriculture producers from securing an adequate workforce (CAHRC, Labour Market Information). 1.3 Scope This report is an extensive demographic profiling initiative of those involved in the agriculture sector of the region. As discussed above, the region covered is the Northeast Avalon (Zone 19) as defined by the Regional Economic Development Boards. The commodities included in our definition of agriculture include beekeeping (apiculture), blueberries and other small fruits, beef, poultry, dairy, egg, vegetables, herbs, pork, and sheep.

The report does not include primary research of secondary production or landscaping (including trees and floriculture) sector of agriculture. The CCDA was unable to include landscaping due to an uncharacteristically low response rate from this segment of agriculture in the region, 11% versus 50% for the rest of the industry. Therefore after debate within the steering committee 6 and discussion with the commodity group, Landscape NL, it was decided to omit this statistically invalid data and supplement it with research conducted Landscape NL. Consequently, the forthcoming analysis excludes Landscaping companies unless otherwise stated.

The scope of this project also omits data collected directly from employees within the agriculture sector. While many efforts were made to survey this population (including contact through employers, advertising and incentives to participate) no employees came forward to participate. This may be partially due to the transient nature of their employment. As a result, the employer survey gleans information about agriculture employees from the agriculture business owners. Certain sectors, such as the dairy industry, had uncharacteristically low response rates and while their numbers are included in the overall and animal husbandry data, it was not possible to highlight these industries on their own as the results would not be representative of the group.
6

A committee of applicable individuals from agriculture commodity and interest groups, government and educational institutes were selected to help guide the initiative and provide expertise and advice.

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The report focuses on primary agriculture businesses on the Northeast Avalon. This includes information including but not limited to age, education levels, number of employees and desired training.

1.4 Methodology Primary Research Surveying was the methodology utilized for primary research. In order to generate the survey and cover letter, many sources and templates were drawn upon as will be discussed in Section 1.6, Survey Design. 67 primary agriculture businesses (excluding landscaping companies) were found to be located on the Northeast Avalon. 50% of these agreed to take the survey. Secondary Research Secondary research for the report consists of a variety of web-based and published documents, research papers and reports considering human resources, training and agriculture. These documents consist of publications by government, educational institutes and special interest groups as well as documents by leading experts in this field. Most notably, the reports by the Canadian Agriculture Human Resource Council (CAHRC) and the College of the North Atlantic (CNA's) Training Needs Assessment of Newfoundland and Labradors Agriculture Industry (2004) were extremely helpful.

1.5 Limitations As mentioned earlier in the report, there was no primary data collected from landscaping companies or agriculture employees. This was due largely to a timing and interest issue. Multiple methods were employed in recruiting members of these populations to no avail.

Furthermore, while a 50% response rate was obtained, 33 agriculture businesses could not be surveyed. Due to the industry having a small population-base, it was not possible to highlight specific commodities and issues without breaching confidentiality agreements. For instance, if less than three individuals from a particular commodity group answered a question, these were added to an other category instead of risking violating producer confidentiality. Similarly, if an insufficient number of producers participated in a certain sector, these results were grouped together instead of being used to highlight that particular segment of agriculture.

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Even with these limitations, it was felt by the steering committee that the results arrived upon were statistically sound and representative of the population in question. This view was further supported by the Provincial Statistics Agency. The interviews conducted were extremely useful and provided a reliable frame of reference and representation from the various commodities, ages and education levels. It is possible that younger farmers are not adequately represented, as they are less likely to be known then those individuals in the business for a long period of time. This was addressed as much as possible through advertising and direct recruitment. 1.6 Survey Design In order to generate the survey, cover letter, definition booklet and confidentiality agreement, many sources and templates were drawn upon. CCDA materials, agriculture surveys and cover letters (such as the CAHRC survey and cover letter), information alluded to in agriculture reports and current events in the news were drawn upon for a draft survey. Furthermore, each agriculture commodity group in the region was given the chance to meet and discuss questions they would like included in the survey. When a draft survey was completed the Provincial Statistics Agency provided assistance to ensure statistical validity and succinctness.

It was key to draw the survey from a number of experts and specialists and be very holistic in the creation of the necessary documents. The survey design was completed in partnership with any and all interest commodity groups, government representatives and other experts and was approved by the steering committee prior to being used. Meetings were held with representatives from a number of commodity groups to test the questionnaire and also to identify issues to be addressed by this report.

A confidentiality agreement is of utmost importance. Protecting the identities and information of survey respondents is integral to the credibility of the research as well as the organization performing it. In order to do this, the CCDA did not link any names or personal information to the surveys that were completed and did not link the survey respondents name or address to their survey in anyway. Furthermore, the information collected was only shown in group-form and no individual responses were disclosed. This protected the identities of companies that may have been identifiable by the commodities they produced, number of employees they had, or other such information. 14

Finally, the original surveys were shredded and the completed surveys were only accessible through the software program used which was password protected.

All known farmers in the region were contacted by phone if possible. If their phone numbers were not available letters were sent out. The participants were able to select the time and place of their interviewing and whether it was to be conducted in person or by phone. If these options were not viable for the participants, mail packages with stamped return envelopes, faxes or email packages were distributed.

The survey consisted of 32 questions in the following areas: 1. 2. 3. 4. Business Information Training Information Employee Information Demographic Information

1.7 Report Structure This report will be broken down in a format similar to that of the survey, containing sections on the Industry Overview, Training and Education and their Employee Information. Each of these issues will be analyzed on a number of levels including by age group, formal education levels and sector of agriculture. Information will be compared and contrasted by specific commodities when possible and into the more general categories of Horticulture 7 and Animal Husbandry 8 when more appropriate.

The report is supplemented with an overview of Education Options and a summary of landscaping in the region.

Horticulture includes the following commodities: Berries/Nutraceuticals; Floriculture; Greenhouse products; Hay; Landscaping; Trees; and Vegetables 8 Animal Husbandry includes the following commodities: Beef; Bees; Dairy; Egg; Pork; Poultry; Sheep and Turkeys

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Section 2.0

Industry Overview

2.1 Business Information Business Information Availability An historical database of 120 farm business owners (excluding landscaping) on the Northeast Avalon was initially obtained. However, it soon became evident that the listings for the industry had undergone dramatic changes. The original listings of 120 decreased to 67 farms in the region, including new additions to the list that were found throughout the process. That is to say, more than 43% of these original listings had left the industry (Figures 1 and 2). There were a number of reasons for this decline, most notably retirement, deaths and new jobs outside of agriculture.

Figure 1

Original Listings Breakdown

Left industry:

Figure 2

Current Listings Breakdown

23% 43%

10%
Not interested: Participated:

Not Interested Interviewed 50% Unable to schedule

40%

28%

6%

Unable to schedule

The Statistics Canada Census shows the percentage decrease of farms in Newfoundland and Labrador from 2001 to 2006 was 13.2%, compared to a 7.1% decline nationally. Therefore the historical database obtained was much more out-of-date than anticipated as it had such a high percentage of farm closures. These listings were supplemented by other listings and individuals but the issue of having a universal up-to-date network as in other industries is pertinent.

Of the 67 known farmers on the Northeast Avalon, CCDA surveyed 50% of the population. However it was not possible to schedule interviews with 40% of the population. This was due to a lack of contact information or inability to find a convenient time for agriculture business owners, 10% were not interested in completing the research.

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Registration in Atlantic Provinces Interestingly, for farmers in other Atlantic Provinces the registration processes is more formalized and in some cases, mandatory. For instance, all other Atlantic Provinces have acts with regards to farm registration such as PEIs Farm Registration and Farm Organization Funding Act. This act states that registration is mandatory for farms grossing 10,000 or more, and the registration fees help fund approved farm organizations 9 . Farmers in the other Atlantic Provinces need to register in order to access government agriculture programs in their respective provinces. In Nova Scotia for instance, registration is required for Farm License Plates, Fuel Tax Exemption, Livestock Herd Health, Farm Investment Fund, ad hoc weather-related programs and BSE programs. Registered farms receive a sizeable discount on some Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture laboratory analyses 10 .

Currently in Newfoundland and Labrador, the registration is voluntary but some incentives are offered such as fuel tax exemptions and farm vehicle registration. The Farm Industry Review Board 11 is responsible for registering all producers every 3 years and maintaining contact information. New farmers are added as they enter the industry and are issued an identification number (Farm Industry Review Board, Activity Plan, 2008). 2.2 Commodities Breakdown According to the Department of Natural Resources, Farm Gate Sales (2007) for Farming Industry for Newfoundland and Labrador was approximately $102 Million. Some of the major sectors were as follows: Vegetables---$6.1 million Floriculture and Nursery--$7.4 million Total Crops (includes vegetables and floriculture/nursery)---$15.1 million Dairy---$43.8 million Chicken---$21.3 Eggs---$11.8 Total Livestock (includes dairy, check and egg)---$86.2 million

Legislative Counsel Office, Government of PEI. http://www.gov.pe.ca/law/statutes/pdf/f-04_02.pdf Farm Registration Fact Sheet, Government of Nova Scotias Department of Agriculture. http://www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/paal/agric/pdf/Farm_Registration_Fact_Sheet.pdf 11 Newfoundland and Labrador Farm Industry Review Board is an administrative tribunal - a statutory appeal body with additional responsibilities for the general supervision of marketing boards operating in the agriculture sectors. http://www.assembly.nl.ca/business/tabled/Farm_Industry_Review_Board_Annual_Report2007-08.pdf
10

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That is, 75% of Farm Gate Sales were from Supply Managed Commodities (2006). These statistics were available in the Farm Industry Review Boards 2008 Annual Performance Report. They do not comment on the number of producers in each area, rather the amount of gross sales generated by the industry as a total.

Representation from all commodities in the region was obtained as shown in Figure 3. If a farm produced greenhouse products such as flowers and ornamentals in addition to their other commodities, their greenhouse products were included in the analysis although these items are customarily grouped into the landscaping industry.

Figure 3

Commodity Breakdown of Interviewees Vegetable Hay Poultry Berries Greenhouse Sheep Beef Dairy Egg Turkey Other 17 12 8 6 6 5 4 4 4 4 5

*Note: The charts percentages add up to a great amount than 100% as many producers were involved in multiple commodities.

Forty-nine percent of agriculture businesses surveyed indicated that they provided two or more commodities and services. In fact, 62% percent of producers growing two or more commodities were growing at least three items. When considering the products produced by those farmers focusing solely on one commodity, the numbers were quite evenly split, with 53% being involved in horticulture (vegetables, hay, or berries and nutraceuticals,) and 47% being involved in husbandry (poultry, sheep, beef, dairy, egg or turkey). An interesting area for future research would be the relative importance of each commodity to agriculture business owners who produce more than one commodity.

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2.3 Demographics of Primary Farm Operators A representative of each business was surveyed (usually the primary owner/operator or an individual delegated by the owner/operator and giving the owners demographic information). Many farms in the region are family businesses and run by multiple individuals, however, the scope of this survey focuses on the primary owner/operator of the business.

Ninety-one percent of those surveyed indicated the primary owner and operator of their agriculture business was male. Spouses jointly ran some of these operations although the sanctioned primary farm operator was male. However, the proportion of Female Farm Operators is still quite low according to Statistics Canada, despite their allowance for three operators per farm, with 27.8% female farm operators nationally and 23% in Newfoundland and Labrador (Census, 2006).

CCDAs methodology contrasts with Statistics Canadas; during the census they allow farms to indicate up to three farm operators per farm. However, due to limited survey space and analysis time, this was not possible for CCDAs endeavor. This caused an undervaluing of the number of female farm operators in the region.

Agriculture business owners in the region bring a wealth of experience to their profession. As Figures 4 and 5 show, approximately 60% of respondents have spent 30 years or more in the agriculture industry and have owned their businesses on average for 20 years. Specifically, 26% have owned their businesses for 30 years or more and 80% indicated that their farm was a family farm with 35% of those being in the family for 50 years or more.

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Figure 4 Total Time in Agriculture

Years

Figure 5 Total Time Owning Business

Years

All of these numbers portray the strong history and culture of farming in our region. Conversely, it indicates that many individuals have spent an immense amount of time in the industry and therefore are of an older demographic and may exit the industry in the near future. This is supported when the ages of farmers in the region are analyzed (Figure 6). Figure 6 Age of Farmers in Region
3% 21% 27% 70 + 50-69 30-49 29 and below

49%

Out of all the farmers interviewed in the region only 3% were 29 years old or less. Conversely, 70% of farmers in the region were 50 or above with an average age of 58. This is in contrast with the median age of the labour force of the St Johns CME (a region

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comparable to the Northeast Avalon 12 ) which is 39.6 years of age (Statistics Canada, 2006 Census). However, they also found that 40.7% of farmers nationally were 55 and over with the average age of a farm owner in Canada being 52 (Statistics Canada, 2006 Census), 6 years younger than the Northeast Avalons average.

These statistics vary when comparing the Husbandry Industry to the Horticulture Industry (Figures 7 and 8). On average, Horticulture Producers are older than Husbandry Producers although both have higher average ages than both the labour force on the Northeast Avalon, as well as agriculture business owners throughout the rest of Canada.

Figure 7

Ages in Husbandry

Figure 8

Ages in Horticulture

Training Information 2.1 Employee Information

70+

50-69

30-49 30 and below

70+

50-69

30-49

30 and below

Based on these ages, it is not surprising that 15.6% of agriculture business owners plan on leaving the industry within 10 years, while a further 18.8% plan on leaving the industry in 10-20 years, for a cumulative total of 34.4% of farmers planning to leave the industry in 20 years or less (shown in Figure 9).

The St. Johns CME includes the communities of and excludes the Zone 19 communities of Avondale, Colliers, Conception Harbour, Harbour Main, Holyrood, Wabana and Marysvale and includes Bay Bulls and Witless Bay from outside of Zone 19.

12

21

Figure 9

Years Left in Agriculture

Undecided 53.1%

About 53% of those surveyed were unsure how much longer they would stay in the agriculture industry (Figure 9). However, when the ages of those undecided individuals are examined, it is very telling (Figure 10). The average age (mean) of the undecided individuals is 61. Consequently, they do not have plans to retire in the near future; it is likely that age will play a factor for many of these farmers in the coming years.

Figure 10

Undecided Individuals by Age

80-89 70-79 60-69 50-59 40-49 30-39 20-29

Also depicted in Figure 10, 41% of individuals who have not decided how much longer they will stay in agriculture are between the ages of 60 and 69. 24% are below 50 and 24% are 70 years of age or above; therefore, 73.5% of Agriculture Business Owners who are undecided about their future in agriculture are 50 or above. As stated, while all of these individuals are unsure how much time they will stay in the agriculture industry, many of them are of an older demographic and may soon exit the industry for retirement or health reasons.

22

However, given that 80% of farms are family farms, there is a possibility that some of the farmers exiting the industry may pass their farms along to children or other family members. It is also possible that others may be sold to individuals for farming purposes. In terms of Succession Plan Training, 15.2% of those surveyed had received some form in the past and only 9.1% were interested in receiving succession plan training in the future. Whether the farms in the region have succession plans in place was not within the scope of the project and may be an area for future research.

Considering that Newfoundland and Labrador currently produces 10-12% of the vegetables and less than 2% of the livestock its population consumes (Wiseman, 2007), the fact that such a significant percentage of farmers are close to retirement age raises serious concerns about the future of the industry, particularly these commodities.

2.4

Young Farmers and New Entrants

Agriculture can be an extremely difficult industry to break into for many reasons. This can especially be the case for young farmers and brand new entrants to the industry who may not have the credit history for obtaining loans and do not yet generate the sales to obtain government grants. The Canadian Young Farmers Forums (CYFFs) Strategic Plan 13 identifies many potential issues for young people in the agriculture industry. Factoring heavily in the report is Training and Education: Training and Education are important to young farmers as they develop their farm businesses, and the agriculture industry as a whole. Formal education, as well as extension training and service are essential to keep young farmers efficient, effective and forward thinking. Incentive programs for education would help to ensure a progressive agriculture industry through the efforts of young farmers. One novel way CYFF plans to encourage this education are academic scholarships solicited from private sponsors to distribute to young producers. Also, web seminars (webinars) and seminar speakers in each province and territories are being planned.

CYFF has also identified Farm Transfers and Succession Planning, Agriculture Awareness and the long-term sustainability and viability of the industry as issues for young farmers. In terms of succession planning, they make the point that the largest transfer of wealth in our history will take place over the next decade. Support is needed to
13

http://www.cyff.ca/docs/Strategic%20Plan%20-%20Final.pdf

23

facilitate this massive transfer between generations in a way that benefits agriculture and the rural economy. CYFF are hoping to have tools on their website to address these issues and also hold provincially based seminars. The province of Quebec is very active in the area of facilitating new entrants and supporting young and new farmers. They have programs to allow them to: firm up an investment project 14 ; practice agriculture using a time-share formula; develop farming and business management skills; guard against interest hikes; and transfer ownership of a farm business. La Financire agricole is all too aware of the many challenges facing newcomers to farming. It is constantly seeking to remove the different obstacles that young entrepreneurs may come up against when starting a farm business. That is why, in conjunction with the Fdration de la relve du Qubec (FRAQ), it has recently revised its Financial Support Program for Aspiring Farmers 15 . The province of Quebec also gives new farm entrants $40,000 towards their farm enterprise upon completion of at least a 3-year training program in agriculture as well as a business plan. Such a program encourages further training and education which in turns adds more knowledge and professionalism to the industry. Furthermore, it provides incentive to complete a business plan.

2.5

Expansion Plans

While the discussion on age and planned retirements in the agriculture industry highlights a challenge in the industry, the amount of expansion planned by Agriculture Business Owners illustrates opportunity. Figure 11 shows that 42.4% of agriculture business owners have plans to expand their businesses in some way, shape or form. A further 6.1% are uncertain whether they will expand or not. Expansion can mean many things, depending on the initial size and type of operation in question. It might mean increasing the herd size of a dairy farm, investing in equipment or new facilities, or any other number of things.

The aim of this grant is to facilitate the establishment of young farmers and provide financial aid to encourage adequate training. The amount of the grant awarded to a new business may vary from $20,000 to $40,000, depending on the recipient's level of training. This grant may be used to finance projects involving sustainable development (http://www.fadq.qc.ca/index.php?id=11&L=1).

14

24

Figure 11

Plans for Expansion

When the ages of individuals planning to expand are investigated, it is not surprising that it is the younger farmers who have plans to grow their businesses (Figure 12). In fact, 70% of those below 50 years of age are planning to expand, as opposed to 30% of those aged 50 and above.

Figure 12

Plans for Expansion by Age

50 and above 49 and below

The levels of expansion plans in the Husbandry sector are greater, with 50% of husbandry business owners planning to expand as opposed to 40% of Horticulture producers (Figure 13).

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Figure 13

Expansion Plans by Commodity

Unfortunately, due to the scope of the study, it was not possible to determine the types and magnitude of expansion; this is an area for further research. The Statistics Canada Census (2006) shows that the average size of a farm has increased in Newfoundland Labrador from 156 to 160 acres in the five years since the last census. However, total farmland in the province has decreased 10.8% between 2001 and 2006.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, the number of farms with less than $250,000 of gross farm receipts declined by 14.2 % between the 2001 and 2006 censuses and those with $250,000 or above also decreased but by a lesser amount of 5.6 % (Statistics Canada, 2006). Clearly, farms are getting larger in size, but fewer in number. While expansion is planned for our region, it may not occur at a rate equal to the rate of individuals exiting from the industry, as this number is quite high (Figures 9 and 10). For this reason, land planning and recruitment into the industry will be vital.

2.6 Land Use Planning Related to expansion plans and development of the agriculture industry in our region is of course, land use. The Northeast Avalon has experienced unprecedented urban growth and substantial increases in population in their urban core. However, rural areas of the region are experiencing population loss to the cities and there are pressures to rezone farmland for household developments and urban amenities, a troublesome trend for the agriculture industry. Especially so as there are more and more individuals coming to the Avalon Peninsula to feed. If a region wishes to be sustainable it is detrimental that they can produce the agriculture products they need. 26

Currently, the Provincial Department of Municipal Affairs 16 , in partnership with 15 municipalities in the St. Johns Urban region are undertaking a review of the St. Johns Urban Region Regional Plan, entitled the Northeast Avalon Regional (NEAR) Plan 17 . This plan will be guiding development in the region over the next 25 years and opportunities for input into the review process will be provided; it is key to ensure the agriculture takes full advantage of input opportunities. Furthermore, research is needed on the implications of land-use planning to the agriculture industry in particular as this is of vast importance to the industry.

2.7

Recommendations

Recommendation 1: Develop a Farm Registration Act and process similar to those in other Atlantic Canadian Provinces. Recommendation 2: Create support programs for aspiring, new and young farmers to help with training and land access in the Province; a comprehensive entry-assistance process such as that found in Quebec should be examined.

The Government of NLs Department of Municipal Affairs, Engineering and Land Use Planning Division is carrying out this significant government policy document. 17 Excludes the communities of Colliers, Avondale, Hollyrood, Conception Harbour and Marysvale from the Capital Coast Region.

16

27

Section 3.0 Training Information The next section of the survey focused on education and training. It examined both the accrued and desired training of the primary farm operators.

3.1 Formal Education Levels According to Statistics Canadas 2006 Census, 15.4% of agriculture business owners in the province had a university degree. The Northeast Avalons numbers are slightly higher with 18.2% of agriculture business owners in the region having a university degree.

Overall in the region, 57.6% of survey respondents had a high school diploma or less. In contrast, 30.3% had completed a postsecondary course. These percentages vary greatly when analyzing the subsections of agriculture. That is, respondents from the Husbandry industry generally had higher levels of education than those involved in Horticulture. Almost twice the percentage of Farmers in the Horticulture sector had grade 9 or less (Table 1). However, when this analysis is taken to another level, it becomes evident that the lower formal education level is related to age rather than sector (Table 2).

Table 1

Formal Education Levels by Sector Overall Horticulture Formal Education 21.2% 24% Grade 9 or less Some High School High School Diploma Some College Some University Completed College Completed University 6.1% 30.3% 6.1% 6.1% 12.1% 18.2% 8.0% 28.0% 8.0% 8.0% 8.0% 16.0%

Husbandry 12.5% 0.0% 31.3% 6.3% 6.3% 18.8% 25%

The average age of horticulture producers is higher than that of husbandry producers, as was discussed in Section 2.3 and showcased in Figures 7 and 8. Statistics have shown that older individuals usually have lower levels of formal education a trend common in many other sectors of the economy as well as other parts of the province and country.

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Table 2

Formal Education Levels by Age Group 30-49 50-69

70 and above

Formal Education Grade 9 or less Some high school High school diploma Some College Some University Completed College Completed University 0.0% 0.0% 44.4% 11.1% 22.2% 11.1% 11.1% 31.3% 12.5% 25.0% 0.0% 0.0% 6.3% 25.0% 28.6% 0.0% 14.3% 14.3% 0.0% 28.6% 14.3%

Note: The sample size for the age group 30 and below was to small to release specifics on that demographics educational background.

As can be seen in Table 2, 100% of respondents in the 30-49 age group have obtained at least their high school diploma, compared with 56.3% of those aged 50-69 years and 71.5% of those 70 and above. Interestingly, while more in the 30-49 age group pursued postsecondary (55.5%), 33.3% in this age group began post-secondary but did not complete it. The percentage of 30-49 year olds who completed a postsecondary program (22.2%) is actually lower than the percentages of those aged 50-69 (31.3%) or 70 and above (42.9%) to complete a post secondary program. While the 30-49 age group have more individuals pursuing post secondary education than the other categories, they have the lowest completion rate for post secondary.

The source of formal education for Agriculture Business Owners appears to be changing as well. For those in the 70 and above age group who attended post-secondary, 75% of them attended college as opposed to the 50-69 age group, where only 20% of them selected college as their postsecondary choice. The 30-49 age group is more evenly split, with 40% of those attending postsecondary attending college and 60% attending university.

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3.2

Other Training Acquired

Categories of Training Those who indicated that they had received training related to their businesses (either in their post-secondary education or outside of it) were asked to identify the types of training they had received.

The types of training asked about include: Classroom; On-farm; Workshop; Correspondence; and Other. The categories of training were broken into four broad areas: business skills, horticulture skills, husbandry skills and general skills. First, the agriculture business owner was asked if he or she had received training in a particular area and if so, were asked to select specific skills from a list. If the individual had received training that was not on the list they were still able to indicate that skill in the other category.

Business Skills were defined as any skills associated with commerce and running a commercial enterprise. The skills included in this category were as follows: Bookkeeping and Recordkeeping; Business Planning; Communication Skills (oral and written); Computers and Technology (basic); Computers and Technology (advanced);

Management Training; Marketing and Sales; Research and Development; Secondary Processing; Staff Supervision; and, Succession Planning.

The Husbandry category included skills which were necessary for the husbandry industry but not by the horticulture. It included: Animal First Aid/Care (basic); Animal Husbandry; Feedlot Work; Herdsperson; Meat Cutting; and, Milking / Milk Handling;

The Horticulture category included skills necessary for the operation of a horticulture farm, which were not needed in the husbandry industry. It included: Greenhouse / Garden Centre Work; Harvesting; Irrigation Management; Landscaping; Pest Management / Chemical Application; Planting, Growing and Propagation; and, Soil Management.

Finally, the General category was made up of skills which would be of benefit to either a horticulture or husbandry enterprise but which were not business skills. This list was comprised of: Biosecurity Practices; Environmental Management; First Aid/ 30

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS); Food Safety, Grading / Inspection; HACCP (Hazardous Analysis Critical Control Point); Machine Maintenance; Machine Operation; Organic Practices; Skilled Trade(s); and, WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System).

A definitions booklet was provided and was consulted in the event that a survey respondent was unsure of the meaning of a certain term, such as biosecurity or succession planning. This listing of skills was formulated in partnership with commodity group representatives in the industry and was analyzed and approved by the Steering Committee prior to its use. The Steering Committee included farmers, commodity group representatives, government representatives and other industry experts.

Business Training A total of 36.4% respondents could recall receiving some form of business training in the past. The most commonly received training in this category was Bookkeeping and Recordkeeping, with 33% of all interviewees having accessed training in this area. Business Planning was the next most-popular form of training received with 30.3% of all respondents receiving this form of training. Computers and Technology (basic) and Management Training were next with 24.2% of total respondents having previous training in this area. Other training accessed included Marketing and Sales, Research and Development, Secondary Production, Staff Supervision and Succession Planning.

On-farm training was the most common form of training for business skills. The most popular form of business training was on-farm (45.8%) followed by classroom (37%) and workshop (32.2%).

Horticulture Training About 58% of all farmers surveyed, (76% of those involved in the horticulture sector) have received training in horticulture skills. Forty-two percent of all survey respondents had received training in Pest Management/Chemical Application, 33.3% received training in Harvesting, followed by 30.3% with training in Planting, Growing and Propagation and 27.7% with training in Soil Management. Other training received included Irrigation Management. 31

The majority of horticulture training (60.9%) was received on-farm. This was followed by 39.3% classroom, 9.5% workshop and 2.6% other. Husbandry Training About 46% of farmers surveyed (93.75% of those involved in the husbandry sector) have received training in husbandry skills; 39.4% of all survey respondents had received training in Basic Animal First Aid/Care and 42% had received training in Animal Husbandry. Other training received included Milking and Milk Handling; Meat Cutting; Herdsperson; and Feedlot Work

The majority of horticulture training (83.3%) was also received on-farm, followed by 40% attending workshops, 28.3% obtaining classroom training and 10.6% completing correspondence. General Skills About 52% of farmers surveyed had received some training in general skills as listed above. This includes 52% of horticulture producers and 56.3% of husbandry producers. Generally, those who had received training in the General Skills section received training in many of the General Skills listed, more so than any other skill set discussed above. In terms of particular skills, 36% of all respondents had received training in Machine Maintenance and 30.3% had received Machine Operation training; 75% of Machine Maintenance training and 100% of Machine Operation training had been received on farm, 33.3% of survey respondents had received Environmental Management Training, 33.3% received Food Safety, 30.3% received HACCP, 30.3% had OHS. Slightly less, but still considerable are the percentage of individuals who received Biosecurity training (27.3%), Organic Practices (21%) and WHMIS (21%).

The majority of general skills training (46.9%) was received on-farm. This was followed by 30.3% attending classroom courses, 25.7% obtaining training through a workshop and 5% completing some other form of training.

Overall, the most common format of all categories of training (Business, Horticulture, Husbandry and General Skills) was on the farm training. Classroom and Workshops were also both very popular forms. 32

3.3 Further Desired Training Interest in Further Training When asked if they were interested in any additional training, 39.4% of survey respondents said yes while 12.1% were uncertain if they would like further training or not. The amounts and types of training varied widely depending on sector of agriculture and age group.

When asked the general question of whether they would like any additional training, the sector of agriculture (i.e. horticulture or husbandry) was somewhat of an indicator (Figure 14) with 40% of Horticulture and 50% of Husbandry producers interested in some form of further training; 10% of each sector was uncertain whether they would pursue further training or not. Analysis of particular types of training, such as in business, husbandry or horticulture brought about larger differences in opinion between husbandry and horticulture. This will be discussed in the subsection 3.3.2 of the report.

Figure 14

Additional Training Desired

Age group, however, had a large impact on desire for further training (Figure 15). As the average age in Horticulture is older, this may account for the discrepancy in desired training between the two industries.

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Figure 15 50-69

Additional Training Desired by Age 30-49

70-89

The sample for 30 and below was to small to display or comment on.

Of the farmers aged 70 and above 14.3% wanted more training as opposed to 37.5% of those aged 50-69 and 66.7% of those aged 30-49. It is not surprising that the relationship between age and desire for training is inversely correlated, as shown in Figure 16.

Figure 16

Age Versus Desired Training

80 70 % desire training 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 70-89 50-69 age 30-49

The sample for 30 and below was to small to display or comment on.

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Categories of Training Those who indicated that they were interested in further training, as well as those who were uncertain were asked what types of training they would like to receive in the future. As in previous sections, the categories of training were broken into four broad categories: business skills, horticulture skills, husbandry skills and general skills. Business Training About 30% of agriculture business owners wanted further business training (Figure 17). Again, age played a role, with younger farmers expressing more interest in business training (Figure 18). Figure 17 Desired Business Training

Yes 30%

No 70%

Figure 18
70 % Desiring Training 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Age Versus Desired Business Training

70+

50-69 Age

30-49

35

The sector of agriculture did not seem to have much impact on the desire for training in business; 28% of Horticulture producers and 31.25% of Husbandry producers identified an interest in this area. Due to the small sizes of the commodity groups, it is difficult to break down desired training by the specific commodity groups within each sector.

The most popular selections within the business training category included: Communications Skills (oral and written) (15.2%); Bookkeeping and Recordkeeping (12.1%); Computers and Technology (Advanced) (12.1%); and Business Planning (9.1%) Horticulture Training It is assumed that Horticulture operators would be the ones likely to want training in horticulture; consequently, the forthcoming analysis was based solely on the horticulture producers interviewed. As Figure 19 shows, 24.0% of Horticulture producers were interested in receiving further training in horticulture skills.

Figure 19

Horticulture Training Desired

Yes 24%

No 76%

While there were some variations based on age, they were not as striking as with business training: 14.3% of those aged 70 and above would like Horticulture training, 22.2% of those aged 50-69 and 18.8% of those aged 30-49.

The most popular horticulture training needs identified were: Planting, Growing and Propagation (20%); and Greenhouse Work; Irrigation Management; Pest

Management/Chemical Application; and, Soil Management (all with 12%). 36

Husbandry Training Again, it is assumed that Husbandry producers would be the ones likely to want training in Husbandry, consequently the forthcoming analysis was based solely on the husbandry producers interviewed. As Figure 20 shows, just 15% of husbandry producers interviewed wished to have further training in Husbandry. Figure 20 Husbandry Training Desired

Yes 15%

No 85%

Similar to horticulture training, while age is a factor in desired training for husbandry, it does not show as large a trend as with overall and business training (Figures 16 and 18). In the 50-69 age category, 18.8% desired husbandry training, compared with 22.2% of those aged 30-49 and 0% of those 70 and above.

The most popular husbandry training indicated was Animal Husbandry (25%); followed by Animal First Aid and Care (Basic); and Herdsperson (both with 12%). General Training As indicated in Figure 21, 30% of all Agriculture Business Owners interviewed were interested in further training in the General Skills Category. Interestingly, this is on par to the proportion that would like to receive Business Skills training; however, the ages of these individuals are quite different. This is the only category of training in which a significantly larger percentage of those aged 50-69 were interested compared to the 30-49 age group.

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Figure 21

General Skills Training Desired

Yes 30%

No 70%

Figure 22
50.00%

Age Versus Desired Training in General Skills

44.40% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 14.29% 10.00% 0.00% 70+ 50-69 30-49 31.25%

When sector of agriculture is examined, 36% of Horticulture Business owners and 31.3% of Husbandry business owners, were interested in general skills training.

In terms of the particular training in General Skills desired, Food Safety was the most sought after with 21.2% of agriculture business owners surveyed interested in such a course. Biosecurity Practices followed with 15.2%; and HACCP; and Machine Operation (both with 12.1%), and finally, Machine Maintenance; Environmental Management; and Organic Practices (9.1% each).

38

It is not surprising that Biosecurity and Food Safety were the most popular General Skills individuals wished to have training in, given the media coverage of issues such as listeriosis, salmonella and bird flu, among others.

Other Training Needed Although farmers did not identify some training areas as needs, findings in the research indicated requirements in these areas. In particular, planned retirements, average age of business owners, number of farms closing and difficulty obtaining employees identify a requirement for training in profitability enhancement, human resources and recruitment and succession planning.

Desired Training Information The respondents who indicated interest in training were asked a number of questions on their ideal training types as well as barriers to training. Of those interested in training, 93.8% would prefer it to be during the winter. However, 66.7% preferred On-farm training, which in many instances would not be possible in the winter.

The majority (71.4%) of respondents indicated they would prefer training to be a length of 1-7 days. Time of day was not of significance for many; with 37.5% indicating any time (morning, afternoon, evening, or day long) was fine, the remaining respondents were quite evenly split between the other categories (i.e. morning, afternoon, evening). In terms of cost, 63.6% indicated they would pay $500 or less for the training, while 18.2% of farmers indicated either None or 501-1000. Farmers often commented that it really depended on the training type and length. In terms of reasons for not receiving the training they desired, the three most prevalent reasons are depicted in Table 3.

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Table 3 Reason

Training Obstacles Percentage 61.5% 46.2% 30.8%

Insufficient time to attend training No Training Opportunities Available Could not afford the training

GPC 18 (2004) found that nationally, timing was key to owner/operators attending training, with 85% indicating it was of great influence; followed by Program Objectives (84%) Location (74%), Length of Program (66%) and Price (59%). To a lesser extent, but still important were Certification (52%), Facilitator (43%), Tax Incentive (34%) and Credit Towards a Diploma (26%) (page 33).

3.4

Recommendations

Recommendation 3: Develop and deliver workshops and occasional training sessions in the following skill areas: Business: Communications, bookkeeping and recordkeeping, computers and technology (basic) and business planning. Horticulture: Planting, growing and propagation, greenhouse work, irrigation and soil management Husbandry: Animal Husbandry (Advanced), Animal First Aid/Care (Basic) General: Food Safety, Biosecurity Practices, Machine Maintenance and Operation, Environmental Management and Organic Production Other: Profitability enhancement, Human Resources and Recruitment, Succession Planning Recommendation 4: Criteria should be generated to ensure agriculture training and programs that are offered are accessible to business owners and employees and are reflective of a variety of education levels, backgrounds and financial means. Before any training is offered, it should be assessed to ensure it meets this criterion.

GPC Public Affairs was commissioned by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture to do this research piece for the Agriculture Sector Council in 2004. It was a Producers Survey on Human Resources in Agriculture with 265 employers (5% from NL).

18

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Section 4.0

Employee Information

4.1 Paid Employees According to Statistics Canada, 113 farms on the Avalon Peninsula reported part-time and seasonal labour, totaling 10,522 weeks in 2005 (Statistics Canada, 2006 Census). The St. Johns Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) 19 had 48% of those farms and they accounted for 7,680 weeks (or 73%) of part time and seasonal work.

In terms of year-round work, according to the 2006 Statistics Canada Census, 62 farms on the Avalon Peninsula reported hiring labour for a total of 9,778 weeks, equivalent to 188 full time employees. Thirty seven farms from the St. Johns CMA reported 5,772 weeks of work, equivalent to 111 full time employees. Therefore the St. Johns CMA has 60% of the farms on the Avalon and 60% of the full time employment in agriculture.

As depicted in Figure 23, 54.5% of agriculture business owners had paid employees on staff. On a sector basis, 52% of Horticulture Businesses and 62.5% of Husbandry businesses surveyed had paid employees (Figure 24).

Figure 23

Paid Employees

Figure 24
19

Paid Employees by Sector

A census metropolitan area (CMA) is formed by one or more adjacent municipalities centred on a large urban area. To be included in the CMA other adjacent municipalities must have a high degree of integration with the central urban area, as measured by commuting flows derived from census place of work data. The St. Johns CMA is a close approximate to the CCDA region, it excludes the CCDA communities of Belle Island., Holyrood, Colliers, Avondale, Conception Harbour and Marysvale and includes the nonCCDA communities of Bay Bulls and Witless Bay.

41

The most commonly used form of labour was seasonal (30.3%) followed by full-time full-year (21.2%) and casual (15%), (Table 4). Husbandry businesses are more likely to hire full-time, full year labour while Horticulture businesses are more likely to hire seasonal labour, not surprising as it is a seasonal industry.

Table 4 Employee Types Type Percentage hiring type Full-time, full year 21.2% Part-time, full year Seasonal, part or full time Casual (on a call-in basis) 6.0% 30.3% 15.2%

*Full year refers to 52 working weeks a year. Results do not sum to 100% as they are not cumulative.

GPC conducted a Canada-wide agriculture survey with 265 employers, (5% of which were from Newfoundland and Labrador). According to this survey, in Canada: 38% of agriculture employers have 1-4 harvest employees, with 15% of employers requiring more than 10 harvest employees. 47% have 1-4 seasonal employees, with 20% requiring 10+ seasonal employees. 46% have 1-4 part-time employees, with only 2% requiring 50+ part-time employees 47% have 1-4 full-time employees, with 15% requiring 10+ full-time employees. 1/3 have 10+ employees at peak, 1/3 have 1-4 at peak, 20% have 5-9 at peak and 9% have 0 employees at peak. This seems to indicate that almost 10% of farms are either run by a sole proprietor or by family members who do not draw a salary (page 7, GPC, 2004).

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4.2

Recruitment and Retention

Current Situation The CCDA study found almost 50% of Agriculture Employers on the Northeast Avalon were having difficulty filling positions (Figure 25). The Husbandry industry had a significantly higher incidence of difficulty filling positions with 63.6% of Husbandry producers experiencing difficulty as opposed to 42.9% of Horticulture producers.

Figure 25

Difficulty Filling Positions

Malatests 2009 report 20 found that 80% of agriculture employers had one or more vacancies for either a seasonal or nonseasonal position. In Atlantic Canada, the vacancy rate for seasonal workers was 32%, second only to BC at 40%. The same survey found that in Atlantic Canada, 25% felt that staff turnover was a very significant issue while a further 32% identified it was a somewhat significant issue (Malatest, 2009).

Future Situation Given the Expansion Plans noted in Section 2.5, there is a considerable volume of new hires planned for the next two years. In fact, 40% of Agriculture Business Owners surveyed planned to expand the number of employees they had on staff, with a further 16.67% uncertain of their future plans. Similar to Expansion plans, age was found to have an inverse relationship with new hires. Younger farmers were more likely to be planning new hires. Figure 27 shows that only 30% of individuals 50 or above plan to hire new
Malatest and Associates (commissioned by the Canadian Agriculture Human Resource Council (CAHRC)) wrote this report, to be released in 2009. It is entitled Labour Market Information Research on Recruitment and Retention. The results were presented at CAHRCs Labour Market Information Meeting in a February, 2009 presentation.
20

43

workers as opposed to 60% of those 49 and below. However, a higher proportion of those aged 50 and older are uncertain about whether they will hire new employees (20% as opposed to 10% of those 49 and below).

Figure 27
50 and above

Planning New Hires by Age

49 and below

Whether it will be for new positions or existing positions, 43.5% of Agriculture Business

Around 44% of owners anticipate having difficulty in finding labour in the next two years, a further 21.7% are uncertain if they will have difficulty finding labour; 42.1% of agriculture business owners had employee turnover in the last two years.

Further illustrating this point, Malatest found an additional 1,670 seasonal and 3,175 nonseasonal jobs would be available in agriculture in Atlantic Canada within the next 5 years (2009). In Canada, almost 40% of agriculture employers felt they would need more workers in the next two years as compared to 6% who felt they would employ fewer employees (Malatest, 2009). Clearly, there are many employment opportunities in the industry and the amount of opportunity is only going to increase in the coming years. Promotion is needed in order to fill these future positions.

44

Current Recruitment Issues GPCs 2004 survey also explored the reasons employers were having difficulty recruiting suitable employees: Competition from other sectors/industry is the number one reason why it is difficult for employers to find suitable employees for their farm. Having said that, the next four most significant factors perhaps explain why this is solong hours of work, low wages, image of the industry, and difficulty of the work. Almost half of the respondents indicated these factors had a high impact on their ability to find suitable employees for their farm. To a lesser extent, respondents indicated that the possibilities of career opportunities, EI regulations and low unemployment have an impact on employers ability to find suitable employees for their farm. (27% low impact, 12% moderate, 34% high, 12% unsure). Competition among farm employers is evenly split between those who say it has a high impact and those who say it has a low impact (27%) (page 16). This survey also analyzed the factors that assisted in recruitment of employees. It found that family/friendly environment and salary level are the two most important factors that attract employees to work in agriculture (page 19, GPC, 2004).

Furthermore, respondents indicated that geographic location, job security and the nature of the particular work offer also have a high impact on attracting employees to work in agriculture (page 19, GPC, 2004).

Compounding the issue of finding labour are the ways that Agriculture Employers are recruiting. Canada-wide, very few methods are used in the recruitment of Agriculture employees. Agriculture employers indicated word of mouth and family and friends were the most common methods utilized (Figure 26) (Malatest, 2009). The methods used to recruit employees are very narrow in scope. Compounding this problem is the lack of education and career information pertaining to agriculture in the province. This particular problem is discussed in Section 5.0, Education Options.

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Figure 26

Methods Used to Recruit Employees

Source: Malatest, 2009

Potential Recruitment Methods Clearly, difficulty finding new hires is a prominent issue across Canada. It has been an issue in other regions such as the Cte-du-Sud of Quebec. Their approach was to create an agriculture labour-sharing initiative. The CUMO Program (the Cooperative dutilisation de main doeuvre or simply Labour Cooperative in English) (Appendix B) has 67 member farms employing 8 individuals since 2001. The program offers farms access to trained, reliable and affordable part-time labour while offering workers fulltime year-round employment.

As noted in Figure 27, 44.4% of agriculture business owners surveyed were interested in participating in a labour-sharing initiative similar to the CUMO Model. A further 25.9% were unsure if they would like to participate or not.

Of the Agriculture Businesses having difficulty finding labour, 75% would be interested in a labour-sharing initiative; the other 25% were uncertain. Even among those not experiencing difficulty in finding labour, there was interest in a labour sharing initiative. 33.3% expressed interest and 44.4% uncertain.

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In terms of sector breakdown, 45% of Horticulture Business owners were interested in participating and a further 20% were uncertain. In the Husbandry industry, 53.8% were interested and a further 38.5% were uncertain.

In implementing a program such as CUMO, issues to be explored include arrangements for who pays when there is poor weather, sick days and other potential hurdles. Figure 27 Interest in Labour-Sharing

One interesting program, which has potential to assist in addressing this current and future labour shortage, is being piloted at the Elaine Dobbin Centre for Autism. Shamrock Farms Agriculture Vocational Training Program Pilot began in 08 and has trained 5 individuals with autism in employment skills and has 35 more training in other pre-employment skills. The participants learn the entire gardening process from

beginning to end, including maintenance skills, seed saving, deadheading, seed sewing, transplanting and growing produce. This innovative program and others like it can assist in labour shortages, especially if promoted and expanded upon.

Other Labour Issues The steering committee discussed two other labour issues not explored in the CCDA Survey: the use of under-the-table labour (which would often not be reported by agriculture business owners) and quantifying unpaid labour by spouses and other family members. Further research is needed in these areas.

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4.3 Training for Employees A large proportion of survey participants felt it was important for employees to have access to training. Currently, 79.0% of respondents with employees provide some training; mostly on the farm followed by workshops and/or classes. Of those surveyed, 83.9% thought employees should have access to more agriculture training. The remaining 16.1% were uncertain and no one answered that they didnt feel that employees should have access to more training. 78.3% of horticulture producers and 93.8% of Husbandry producers believed further training should be available for employees in agriculture. In terms of types of training, 71.4% chose on-farm as a preferred type of training, followed by workshop (46.4%) and classroom at 7.1% 21 (Figure 28). Figure 28 Preferred Training for Employees

These findings are similar to those found by the national GPC (2004) study: Overwhelmingly, respondents indicated that job site training is the preferred method for employees (80%). This is followed by field day (74%) and workshop (71%). To a lesser extent, participants rated videos (41%), classroom training (39%) as important training methods. Internet and home study training methods were only rated as effective by 20% of those surveyed, indicating they are the least preferred training methods for employees (page 28).

The percentages do not sum to 100%, as survey participants were able to select as many methods as they wished.

21

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The most popular training indicated on our surveys was husbandry training for husbandry employees, at 62.5% and general training for all agriculture employees at 54.5%. The particular percentages and skill areas are discussed below. Business Training for Employees When asked which categories of training employees needed, the answers were varied with 39.4% believing employees need access to business training. Those who would like business training for their employees were subsequently asked about particular training types they would like employees to obtain. The most chosen business skills were business planning, communication skills and basic computers and technology (all with 61.5%), followed by bookkeeping and recordkeeping as well as marketing and sales (both with 46.2%). Other business training was desired but these were the most popular selections.

Horticulture Training for Employees Forty percent of Horticulture Producers would like their employees to receive more Horticulture training. In terms of particular skills, 69.2% of respondents to this question would like employees to receive more training in: harvesting, pest management/chemical application and planting, growing and propagation. About 54% would like employees to receive more training in soil management.

Husbandry Training for Employees Sixty-three percent of Husbandry Producers indicated they would like more husbandry training available for employees. The most popular selections for employee training in husbandry were basic animal first aid and care (75.0%), animal husbandry (58.3%) and milking and milk handling with 50.0%.

General Skills Training for Employees Fifty-five percent of all respondents would like to see more general skills training for agriculture employees. Then most popular selections for employee training in general skills were: machine maintenance and operation (77.8%), first aid and occupational health and safety, and food safety (both with 66.7%) and biosecurity and environmental practices (both with 55.6%).

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Obstacles to Training Employees A number of reasons emerged for employees not receiving more training in any or all of the above skill areas. Survey respondents were able to select up to three reasons. The most popular are noted in Table 5:

Table 5 Reason

Employee Training Hurdles Percentage 64.7%

No training opportunities of interest available

Unable to obtain funding to train employees

35.3%

Fear of employees quitting after training

29.4%

Insufficient time to send employees

29.4%

Training at inconvenient time of year

29.4%

In GPCs 2004 National Survey of Agriculture Employers they asked How much do the following factors influence you to register for a training program for your employees? They found the following: Timing was key with 77% indicating it was of great influence, this was followed by Program Objectives (73%) Location (69%), Length of Program (62%) and Price (59%). To a lesser extent, but still important were Certification (47%), Facilitator (37%), Tax Incentive (37%) and Credit Towards a Diploma (25%) (page 36).

It is interesting to note, the ranking GPC found for Owner/Operators registering for training for themselves is similar to the ranking of training hurdles found in our report (discussed in Section 3.3.7), however the percentages vary slightly.

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4.4

Recommendations

Recommendation 5: A Pilot Labour-Sharing Program should be explored, akin to the CUMO Program in Quebec to address the part-time and seasonal labour needs of producers in the region. Recommendation 6: The industry should develop partnerships with organizations such as the Elaine Dobbin, The John Howard Society, Choices for Youth, and the Stella Burry Centre to help address labour shortages. Recommendation 7: Promote use of the SWASP Program to Agriculture Business Owners.

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Section 5.0

Education Options

Education is becoming a more and more prevalent issue in agriculture as the industry becomes more innovative and complex. Education in the industry is also becoming more of a contentious issue as fewer individuals grow up on farms. A century ago, 80% of the population worked on farms, subsequently agriculture education occurred as people grew up in that environment. Currently, very few individuals are exposed to agriculture in their everyday lives. Therefore, education is key in both expanding current farm operations and in encouraging new entrants into the industry.

5.1 College of the North Atlantic College of the North Atlantic, in particular its Carbonear campus has been involved with Agriculture training in the province since the mid-80s. Demand dropped and priorities changed in the mid-90s causing most agriculture courses and programs to be discontinued at that time. In 2003, the College began to pursue the Agriculture field once again, starting with Bournes Needs Assessment. While at this time, no Agriculture courses are currently offered or appear in their calendar they are in discussion with a number of organizations and are eager to meet the demands of the agriculture industry. Therefore, there are many opportunities for future training through CNA in the future depending on industry demand 22 . Currently, they are in discussions with Landscape NL to offer a Horticulture Technician Course, which is further discussed in Section 6.0.

5.2

Nova Scotia Agriculture College

Currently, the closest institute that offers Agriculture Degree and Diploma Programs is Nova Scotia Agriculture College (NSAC). With 800 students, they have one of the lowest student-professor ratios and rank near the top of all Canadian Universities in research intensity. They offer internationally respected education in agriculture and the life sciences, including diploma programs, undergraduate and post-graduate degrees and have one of the lowest tuition fees in the province of Nova Scotia 23 .

This information was provided by the former Business Development Officer with CNA, Michelle Yetman in a 2008 interview. 23 http://nsac.ca/about/

22

52

NSAC is the most popular choice among Newfoundland Labrador students interested in earning a degree in agriculture (Bourne, 2004). NSAC actively recruits in the province, completing two, three-week visits to the province each year in addition to other recruitment opportunities, such as career fairs. Despite this, enrollment from Newfoundland and Labrador, including the Northeast Avalon has traditionally been quite low, with an average of 7 individuals attending from the Northeast Avalon each year for a total of 21 people over the 2005-2007 period. This compares with an average of 29 students each year from the entire province, or 24%. Newfoundland and Labrador has the lowest number of students at NSAC from all the Atlantic Provinces. The detailed numbers of Northeast Avalon students at NSAC are depicted in Table 6. Table 6 24 NSAC Enrollment from Northeast Avalon
Community Conception Bay South Conception Harbour Logy Bay Mount Pearl Paradise St. John's Torbay Total 2005 1 1 1 0 0 3 0 6 2006 2 1 0 1 2 2 1 9 2007 2 0 0 1 0 2 1 6 Total 5 2 1 2 2 7 2 21

24

Data provided by Wayne Paquet of NSAC in May of 2008.

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Table 7 25 2007 Newfoundland NSAC Attendees by Program

DEGREE PROGRAM BSc (Agr) Agricultural Business BSc (Agr) Animal Science BSc (Agr) Environmental Studies BSc (Agr) No Program BSc (Agr) Plant Science BSc (Agr) Pre-Veterinary Engineering Diploma Degree Total 1 6 1 1 2 6 1 18

According to the college, the majority of the students from the province come for pre-veterinary studies. Table 5 shows the number of students who graduated from NSAC in 2007 and which programs they had completed. Of those completing degrees, 33.3% were completing pre-vet; only one was completing an Agriculture Business Degree. Other individuals studied plant science, environmental studies, engineering and animal science. Other individuals from the province pursued Diplomas or Masters Programs at the University.

DIPLOMA PROGRAM Enterprise Management Technology Veterinary Technology Diploma Total 1 1 2

It must also be considered that upon graduation from NSAC and other agriculture-degree programs, a significant number enter the federal and

GRADUATE PROGRAM MSc. Agribiology MSc. Animal Science Graduate Total 2 1 3

provincial agriculture services, but few actually work on the farm (Bourne, 2004), this is likely due to the higher amount of financial compensation and more attractive schedule offered by these careers in comparison to working on-farm. Unfortunately,

OVERALL Total 23

NSAC does not do follow-up studies of their graduates based on specific geographic areas so we

are unaware of the exact numbers.

25

Data provided by Wayne Paquet of NSAC in May of 2008.

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5.3 Workshops and Short Courses The Agrifoods branch of the Department of Natural Resources holds the responsibility of servicing the needs of the farming community (Bourne, 2004). Also according to Bourne (2004), an Agrifood training program has been established to increase skill levels, to develop and offer training, information, and services programs and develop resource materials through organizing short courses, conferences, workshops and seminars and travel and exchange programs. During the past year for instance, a number of courses and workshops have been offered to Agriculture Business Owners such as Canadian Farm Business Management Councils A Quest for New Farm Value Workshop in partnership with the Province. However, it is unclear how many farmers participate in this training and what the outcomes of the training are. According to one farmer interviewed: Even if there are programs and training, people who really need them are unaware of them, the programs are not being communicated properly. 26

Commodity groups also provide training for their members. For instance, along with their Annual General Meeting (AGM) in March of 2009, the Horticulture Council ran a number of workshops including: Recordkeeping and Traceability; Soil Fertility; Pollination; Diseases in Fruits and Vegetables; and Completing Small Acreage Applications.

5.4 Training in Other Regions When analyzing Agriculture Education, it is important to look towards other regions and discover what has and has not worked there. This will save valuable time and eliminate the need for this region to reinvent the wheel for agriculture education programming. Two interesting examples are Alberta and PEI.

PEI The Government of Prince Edward Island, the PEI Agriculture Sector Council and the Prince Edward Island ADAPT Council 27 , in partnership with the NSAC has launched an exciting program for Agriculture Business Owners and their employees. The PEI Farm
Identities of farmers whom were interviewed are being withheld for confidentiality purposes. For more farmer comments, please see Appendix C. 27 The PEI ADAPT council is a nonprofit organization made up of members representing community, agribusiness, farm organizations and government. There is an ADAPT Council in each province and territory, their objective is to assist primary and secondary agriculture to adapt to and become more competitive in the global marketplace (http://www.gov.pe.ca/focus/segment.php3?number=798).
26

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Technician Apprenticeship Program combines on-farm experience with classroom learning (offered by NSACs Centre for Continuing and Distance Education). In the three-year program, participants will work on-farm for the year, with about 8 weeks per year classroom learning in order to be designated with a Certificate of Qualification as a Farm Technician (NSAC, 2008).

The classroom portion of the training covers the following items, as well as selected electives in livestock and/or crop operations:

Farm Health and Safety Fork Lift and Skid Steer Tractor Safety Shop Skills Preventative Maintenance Field and Cropping Operations Pest Management Food Safety Farm Implements Introductory Welding Farm Property and Facilities Maintenance Chainsaw Operation and Maintenance Computer Data and Farm Records Communications Class 3A Driver Training

A program such as this one may facilitate new entrants into the sector while allowing those working on a farm to gain accreditation and incentive to stay in the industry. PEI also has a Future Farmer Program 28 : The program aims to promote the entry of new farmers to the industry as well as improve the probability of new entrants establishing profitable and sustainable farm businesses. PEI is still developing the program details in partnership with agriculture organizations. Components of the program include: Business Planning; Credit Relief; Education and Training; and Risk Management.

Prince Edward Islands Department of Agriculture: http://www.gov.pe.ca/af/agweb/index.php3?number=72384

28

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Government and industry have recognized that more must be done to attract the next generation of farmers. The average age of farmers in the province is upwards of 49 years, and steps must be taken to ensure the continuation of a dynamic and growing industry in the province. There is also recognition that new farmers need access to capital. The average capital value of farms in the province is now more than $400,000, and new entrants must be supported in building their equity. It is also recognized that farmers of the future will be facing a much more complex, competitive industry. They will have to engage in life-long learning, to acquire the skills and knowledge they need for successful business planning in areas such as financial, human resource, marketing and production management. Research has demonstrated there is a strong correlation between the level of education and success in farming. Progressive programs such as these are key to rejuvenating the agriculture industry throughout the country. Alberta The Alberta Governments Department of Agriculture and Rural Development operates an innovative program entitled The Green Certificate Program 29 . This program is offered to both high school students for up to 16 credits (equivalent to three courses) and to the general public, although the vast majority of those currently participating are students. According to the Green Certificate website: [it] is an industry driven agricultural training program. Its apprenticeship style of delivery ensures that participants learn through actively performing the skills required. This means learning, hands-on, out in the barn, field or corral and getting dirty. It also means having a trainer who is knowledgeable and interested in the trainees success. Participants are able to gain Levels 1, 2 and 3 in the program in the areas of: Beekeeping; Cow-Calf; Dairy; Equine; Feedlot; Field Crop; Irrigated Crop; Sheep; and Swine.

In order to gain certification through this program, the participant must complete on-farm training and assessment; off-farm training days and sell study; off-farm testing. Upon completion of this process, the participant is rewarded with a Certificate of Completion from Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. Participating employers and employees in the Green Certificate can access to an employment directory where both employers jobs and employees resumes are available.

The coordinator learned about the Green Certificate Program at the National Agriculture Awareness Conference held in St. Johns, NL in August of 2008 through a presentation from the Program Coordinator, Nicole Hornett. More information about the program can be found at their website: www.agric.gov.ab.ca

29

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Another program offered in Alberta, is the Summer Farm Employment Program. This program is similar to our provinces SWASP (Student Work and Service Program) but is focused primarily on agriculture: The Summer Farm Employment Program is funded and administered by Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. Employees and employers must apply together for the program, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development does not do any matching. The Summer Farm Employment Program's primary objective is to provide opportunities for full-time farm work experience for young people. Employers must be full-time farmers; employees must between 15 and 24 years of age and cannot be a direct relative of the employer. Wage support is provided to farmers to a maximum of $400 per month based on a full time basis. Applications are accepted on a first- come, first-served basis. The program runs from July 1 to August 31 30 .

5.5 Public Agriculture Education In Section 4.2, the issue of recruiting and retaining labour was analyzed. Directly related to this issue, is educating potential employees about the opportunities that exist. According to Jon Treloar of the University of Saskatchewans College of Agriculture and Bioresources 31 , agriculture awareness is vital to attracting human capital to the industry. He says that currently, there is little to no curriculum geared towards agriculture and that many teachers and guidance councilors are unaware of agriculture as a career, have not been exposed to agriculture and do not see it as relevant or valuable in todays society.

Currently in the Province, a media campaign introducing the public to Agriculture Business Owners and Researchers is ongoing. It consists of newspaper ads; a series of commercials, as well as a television show entitled Breaking Ground. The show brings agriculture good news stories to the living rooms of Newfoundland and Labrador. However, while these efforts do assist in making the image of farming more positive, they do not show how individuals can get involved or become employed in the industry.

The NLFA and Landscape NL Human Resource Planners have worked with the Department of Education and other key players in the past, to include agriculture into the
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/general/progserv.nsf/all/pgmsrv35 Jon Treloar is the Marketing and Communications Liaison of the University of Saskatchewans College of Agriculture and Bioresources. He presented at the National Agriculture Awareness Conference in August of 2008 in St. Johns, NL, where this information was obtained from his presentation.
31 30

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Levels 1 and 2 Environmental Science Curriculum. According to the LNL HR Plan This initiative has provided a venue to get messages about careers in agriculture as a whole to high school students and also serves as a model for developing other initiatives around the theme of Agriculture in the Classroom. 32 This work is a great start and should be expanded upon in the future.

5.6

Recommendations

Recommendation 8: Increase targeted agriculture education, especially towards youth and those considering career changes. This is a long-term solution to labour shortages and succession issues. Partnerships with organizations such as the Service Canada Career Development Centres and Youth Employment Services (YES) and other career-information sources should be fostered.

Recommendation 9: Mechanisms must be explored to make agriculture readily accessible to students in the K12 system. For instance, agriculture in the classroom could be implemented throughout the K-9 grades as well as implementing an agriculture module in the High School Career Development Course. Facilitating agriculture placements in the high school Cooperative Education Courses could provide a service akin to the Green Certificate Program in Alberta. Recommendation 10: Seminars should be organized with Career Development teachers and guidance counselors about the potential of agriculture careers. Also, the creation of school gardens and field trips to community gardens and farms should be encouraged throughout school to increase exposure to and knowledge of farming in our region. Recommendation 11: The Province should explore a pilot apprenticeship program akin to the PEI Model to address the training needs of employees and new entrants to the industry.

32

Landscape NLs HR Planner Final Report, December, 2006.

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Section 6.0

Landscaping Industry

6.1 Introduction According to the Statistics Canada 2006 Census, there were 111 greenhouse, nursery and floriculture producers reporting in the province. Fifty-two (46.8%) of those operations were located on the Avalon Peninsula, with 29 in the St. Johns CMA.

The listings research conducted on the Northeast Avalon came up with 32 landscaping companies on the Northeast Avalon, which is 32% of all the agriculture businesses known in the region. Much of the contact information was readily available through the web and phone listings, in contrast with other segments of agriculture. The Landscaping Industry seems much more public about their information and can be contacted much more easily than other segments of the agriculture industry, including by prospective employees.

However, this was also one of the most difficult sectors of agriculture to obtain interviews with, the commodity group had an 11% response rate as opposed to 50% with agriculture companies in general (minus landscaping companies). As discussed above, for this reason Landscaping is being analyzed separately and in terms of secondary data only.

6.2 Landscape NL Research The landscaping industry in the province has done much of its own human resources research. Previously, their Landscape/Horticultural Industrial Adjustment Service Committee (IASC) had a subcommittee, which undertook research on human resources development issues and training needs. This was followed up by Landscape NL (LNL) with a Human Resources Plan, completed in December of 2006 and a subsequent conference on Human Resources entitled Laying the Groundwork with 40 industry representatives in attendance 33 . At this time, Landscape NL had a Human Resources Planner on staff. Considering the work their commodity group has done in HR in the past, the low response rate from the Landscaping industry is not unexpected.

33

Landscape NLs HR Planner Final Report, December, 2006.

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6.3 Employment According to Statistics Canadas Greenhouse, Sod and Nursery Industries Report of 2006, there were 325 employees in the entire province in this sector at this time, up from 310 in 2005. In 2006, 46 Sod and Nursery operations reported to Statistics Canada throughout the Atlantic Provinces. These 46 operations hired a total of 445 full-time employees and 170 part-time. This is down from 97 Sod and Nursery operations reporting to Statistics Canada throughout the Atlantic Provinces in 2005. However, the amount of labour was quite similar despite the lower number of reporting Sod and Nursery operations reporting, with a total of 460 full-time employees and 160 part-time in 2005. Again, this supports a trend of a smaller number of farms, which are larger in terms of employment.

According to the Landscape Survey Results (2008) of the Committee of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CCNLA), the industry is having immense difficulty hiring quality people on a national basis. Over the winter months, they launched an online survey and had 110 respondents from their 1800 members (Just 6.1% of their membership). Seventy-eight percent of these indicated that they have considered using foreign labour to alleviate staffing problems. Furthermore, in order to retain their employees they have had to offer benefits such as health benefits, group registered retirement savings plans (RRSPs), company cell phones, and professional development among many other initiatives. Approximately 50% of respondents to this survey, indicated they hired certified staff, and that a demand for more qualified staff existed according to the survey results (CCNLA, 2008). 6.4 Training In terms of employee training, Landscape Canada offers 61 free online modules to assist employers in training their employees; hard copies of the modules can be purchased (Landscape Canada, 2009). The profession of Landscaping/Horticultural Technician had recently been Red Seal Certified nationally and in a number of provinces, including Ontario and Quebec, which adds credibility and a sense of professionalism to the sector that is sometimes missing from the image of agriculture in general. According to LNLs Report to the NLFA (March, 2009) The Provincial Apprenticeship and Certification Board has recently announced that as this program is now part of the national Red Seal program, that it will be designated within this province at the end of March, 09. This is 61

believed to be a key step forward in offering training in this area in the province (LNL, 2009). In addition to this Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) has developed certification programs that are recognized internationally and governed by the International Certification Council. LNLs Report to the NLFA (March, 2009)

On a provincial level, LNL held a two-day certification training seminar and CHT (Certified Horticulture Technician) testing in November of 2008, facilitated by Sally Harvey of Landscape Ontario. Eight of LNLs members attended, with four completing the testing portion. (LNL, 2009) As recently as five years ago, College of the North Atlantic (CNA) put off a Horticulture Technician Training Program in partnership with LNL. This training was a total of 20 weeks and has been put off five times in the past. Along with training, testing was offered for Canadian Certification in the sector. CNA was scheduled to put off this comprehensive training program again January, 2009 at its Prince Phillip Drive, St. Johns Campus. However, lack of enrollment meant the cancellation of the program. It is not clear why interest is slow low. Similar to other sectors of agriculture, limited availability of career information on this sector may be an issue. More needs to be done to increase awareness of training and employment opportunities in the agriculture industry, including the landscape and horticulture sectors. This is an indication that more Career Education for Landscaping, and other Agriculture jobs is needed, both in the Educational System as well as in Career Resource Centres. Landscape NL, in partnership with CNA is still working towards offering this course at a later time.

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Section 7.0

Cumulative Recommendations

The mandate of the CCDA Agriculture Initiative was to identify opportunities and needs within the agriculture industry on the Northeast Avalon. Based on the research, the CCDA has made a number of recommendations. The CCDA will be working with its partners to encourage and support their implementation and taking the lead where necessary. Recommendation 1: Develop a Farm Registration Act and process similar to those in other Atlantic Canadian Provinces. Recommendation 2: Create support programs for aspiring, new and young farmers to help with training and land access in the Province; a comprehensive entry-assistance process such as that found in Quebec should be examined. Recommendation 3: Develop and deliver workshops and occasional training sessions in the following skill areas: Business: Communications, bookkeeping and recordkeeping, computers and technology (basic) and business planning. Horticulture: Planting, growing and propagation, greenhouse work, irrigation and soil management Husbandry: Animal Husbandry (Advanced), Animal First Aid/Care (Basic) General: Food Safety, Biosecurity Practices, Machine Maintenance and Operation, Environmental Management and Organic Production Other: Profitability enhancement, Human Resources and Recruitment, Succession Planning Recommendation 4: Criteria should be generated to ensure agriculture training and programs that are offered are accessible to business owners and employees and are reflective of a variety of education levels, backgrounds and financial means. Before any training is offered, it should be assessed to ensure it meets this criterion. Recommendation 5: A Pilot Labour-Sharing Program should be explored, akin to the CUMO Program in Quebec to address the part-time and seasonal labour needs of producers in the region. Recommendation 6: The industry should develop partnerships with organizations such as the Elaine Dobbin, The John Howard Society, Choices for Youth, and the Stella Burry Centre to help address labour shortages. Recommendation 7: Promote use of the SWASP Program to Agriculture Business Owners.

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Recommendation 8: Increase targeted agriculture education, especially towards youth and those considering career changes. This is a long-term solution to labour shortages and succession issues. Partnerships with organizations such as the Service Canada Career Development Centres and Youth Employment Services (YES) and other career-information sources should be fostered.

Recommendation 9: Mechanisms must be explored to make agriculture readily accessible to students in the K12 system. For instance, agriculture in the classroom could be implemented throughout the K-9 grades as well as implementing an agriculture module in the High School Career Development Course. Facilitating agriculture placements in the high school Cooperative Education Courses could provide a service akin to the Green Certificate Program in Alberta. Recommendation 10: Seminars should be organized with Career Development teachers and guidance counselors about the potential of agriculture careers. Also, the creation of school gardens and field trips to community gardens and farms should be encouraged throughout school to increase exposure to and knowledge of farming in our region. Recommendation 11: The Province should explore a pilot apprenticeship program akin to the PEI Model to address the training needs of employees and new entrants to the industry. Recommendation 12: Further research is needed in the following areas: The relative importance of each commodity to agriculture business owners who produce more than one commodity. Types and magnitude of expansion and diversification happening in the region The implications and needs of land-use planning for agriculture in the region Use of under-the-table labour in the industry and its impact on the economy Quantifying unpaid labour by spouses and other family members and its impact on the economy. The state of succession planning for farms in the region and the possible implications to the future of the industry.

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Section 8.0

Conclusions

While there are a number of challenges facing the agriculture industry, such as an increasing age of farmers and a lack of training opportunities in the region, there are also many opportunities. The amount of planned expansions and planned hires by younger farmers is significant. Those younger farmers are highly trained and are interested in expanding their education as well as their farms and employee base. There are also large untapped markets for farm products and with the right training, the northeast Avalon can be at the forefront of this market. There are also a lot of opportunities for education of the general public and agriculture workers as well as for recruitment of new farmers; the Northeast Avalon Agriculture Industry has the chance to grow strong roots and flourish in the coming years.

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Bibliography Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. (May, 2006). Science and Innovation Strategy Bourne, Andrea, College of the North Atlantic. (July 2004). A Training Needs Assessment of Newfoundland and Labradors Agriclture Industry. Canadian Agriculture Human Resource Council. Labour Market Information. Retrieved from http://www.cahrc-ccrha.ca/LabourMarketInfo.html in February, 2009 Canada Nursery Landscape Association. (2008) Landscape OnSites. Retrieved from (http://www.canadanursery.com/Page.asp?PageID=924&ContentID=1027) in February 2009. Canadian Ornamental and Horticulture Association, Deloitte & Touche. The Impact of Ornamental Horticulture on Canadas Economy. January 2009. Canadian Young Farmers Forum, Strategic Plan (no date). Retrieved from http://www.cyff.ca/docs/Strategic%20Plan%20-%20Final.pdf in March, 2009. Committee of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association. (2008). Landscape Survey Results Farm Business Register, Agriculture and Aquaculture. Government of New Brunswicks Executive Council. Retrieved from http://app.infoaa.7700.gnb.ca/gnb/Pub/EServices/ListServiceDetails.asp?ServiceI D1=200592&ReportType1=All in March, 2009. Farm Industry Review Board, Activity Plan, 2008 Retrieved from http://www.nr.gov.nl.ca/agric/farmboard/activity_plan.pdf in March, 2009. Farm Industry Review Board, Annual Performance Report. 2007-2008. Retrieved from http://www.assembly.nl.ca/business/tabled/Farm_Industry_Review_Board_Annua l_Report2007-08.pdf in February, 2009. Government of Albertas Department of Agriculture. (2009). Summer Farm Employment Program. Retrieved from http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/general/progserv.nsf/all/pgmsrv35 in April, 2009. Government of Albertas Department of Agriculture. (2009). Welcome to the Green Certificate Program. Retrieved from http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/grc6643 in February, 2009. Government of Nova Scotias Department of Agriculture. Farm Registration Fact Sheet., Retrieved from http://www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/paal/agric/pdf/Farm_Registration_Fact_Sheet.pdf in March, 2009 66

Government of PEIs Department of Agriculture. Future Farmer Program. Retrieved from http://www.gov.pe.ca/af/agweb/index.php3?number=72384 in March, 2009. Government of PEIs Legislative Council. (Dec. 15, 2005). Retrieved from http://www.gov.pe.ca/law/statutes/pdf/f-04_02.pdf in March, 2009. Government of Quebec. (2009). Aspiring Farmers - La Financire agricole Retrieved from http://www.fadq.qc.ca/index.php?id=8&L=1 in February, 2009. GPC Public Affairs, 2004 as Commisions by the CFA. Steering Committee for the Agriculture Sector Council Project: Producers Survey on Human Resources in Agriculture. Retrieved from http://www.cahrcccrha.ca/docs/Employer%20Survey%20Report.pdf in February, 2009. Landscape Newfoundland and Labrador. (December 2006). HR Planner Final Report Landscape Newfoundland and Labrador. (March, 2009). Report to the NL Federation of Agriculture. Malatest and Associates, 2009 as commissioned by the CAHRC. Labour Market Information Research on Recruitment and Retention. Presentation. Nova Scotia Agriculture College. About NSAC. Retrieved from http://nsac.ca/about/ in February, 2009. Statistics Canada. (2006) Census of Agriculture. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/ca-ra2006/index-eng.htm in January, 2009. Statistics Canada, Greenhouse, Sod and Nursery Industries Report, 2006 Task Force on Agriculture, Government of NL. (1991). Towards the Next Century, Agriculture in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Wiseman, Mervin. (Fall, 2007). Agriview Presidents Message.

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APPENDIX A

Survey Items

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Welcome to the Capital Coast Development Alliance (CCDA) Survey of Agriculture and Agrifoods workers! Thank you for taking the time to expand our understanding of the industrys demographic profile. The information you provide on this survey will be used to identify skills that are in demand in the agriculture industry on the Northeast Avalon and to develop a plan of action to meet this demand for skills. Completing this survey will take about 20-30 minutes of your time. Before you begin here is some information you may find useful: Confidentiality: Responses will remain anonymous and confidential. Only the CCDA will have access to completed surveys. Names and other personal information will not be attached to completed surveys or used in any way. Survey responses will be presented in group form and individual survey responses will not be disclosed. When the data from individual surveys is entered into our software program the original survey will be destroyed. In conducting this survey the CCDA adheres to the confidentiality rights guaranteed under the Privacy and Access to Information Act (http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/P-21/index.html). This project is being developed by the CCDA in partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture. The Steering Committee for this project is comprised of representatives from agricultural organizations and commodity groups from the Northeast Avalon, as well as provincial government representatives. The funding for this research was provided by Service Canada. The CCDA is one of 20 Regional Economic Development Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador. Its focus is the Northeast Avalon region of the province. The role of CCDA is to facilitate, promote, coordinate and support economic development in the region. For more information about CCDA please visit http://www.capitalcoast.nf.ca/.

About the Project:

About CCDA:

Thank you for your support and for taking the time to respond. If you have any questions or concerns about this survey please contact Lindsey Hewitt or Christine Snow of the CCDA at the information provided below. Sincerely, Lindsey Hewitt Agriculture Project Coordinator lhewitt@ccda.nf.net 709-753-5554 Christine Snow Executive Director christines@ccda.nf.net 709-753-5554 69

CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT OF THE CAPITAL COAST DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE (CCDA) We, the undersigned employees of CCDA acknowledge that the information collected in this survey will be kept strictly confidential. Information will only be disclosed to persons who are entitled to receive it in their capacity as a member of the Agrifood Worker Demographic Profiling Initiative. Survey data provided to entitled members will not include identifying information about individual survey participants (i.e. name, date of birth). We acknowledge that the participant has been made aware of this confidentiality undertaking. CCDA EMPLOYEES: 1) ______________________________________ Signature

Print

2)

______________________________________ Witness

Print

Date:

________________________________

Please do not hesitate to ask questions during this survey process. If there is a survey question that you do not wish to answer or you do not wish to complete the survey at all, it is your right not to do so. Thank you again for your time.

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Agriculture Business Owner Survey Section 1: Business Information 1. Which commodities/services are provided by your business? (Check all that apply) Agritourism Berries/ Nutraceuticals Beef Dairy Egg Floriculture Greenhouse products Hay Landscape Pork Poultry Sheep Trees Turkey Vegetables Other(s) (please specify): ________________________ 2. Around what is the total amount of time you have spent working in the agriculture industry (both as an employee and business owner)? _______year(s)________month(s) 3. In total, about how long have you owned an agriculture business (includes ownership of former and current agriculture businesses)? _______year(s)________month(s) 4. a) Is your business a family business? Yes No Not sure b) If yes, about how long has it been a family business? _____year(s)_________month(s) 5. How many more years do you intend to stay in the agriculture industry? ___________________________________ If more than 0, answer question 6, otherwise skip to question 7. 6. Do you have plans to expand your business? Yes No Not sure 71

Section 2: Training Information 7. Which type(s) of training, if any, you have received in the following skills (check all that apply)?:
a. Business Skills Classroom Correspondence On-farm Workshop Other (specify) Bookkeeping and Recordkeeping Business Planning Communication Skills (oral and written) Computers and Technology (basic) Computers and Technology (advanced) Management Training Marketing and Sales Research and Development Secondary Processing Staff Supervision Succession Planning Other(s) (please specify): ________________________________ b. General Skills Biosecurity Practices Environmental Management First Aid/ Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Food Safety Grading / Inspection HACCP (Hazardous Analysis Critical Control Point) Machine Maintenance Machine Operation Organic Practices Skilled Trade(s) (specify): _______________________________ WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) Other(s) (please specify): _______________________________

Classroom

Correspondence

On-farm

Workshop

Other(specify)

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c. Husbandry Skills Animal First Aid/Care (basic) Animal Husbandry Feedlot Work Herdsperson Meat Cutting Milking / Milk Handling Other(s) (please specify): _______________________________ d. Horticulture Skills Greenhouse / Garden Centre Work Harvesting Irrigation Management Landscaping Pest Management / Chemical Application Planting, Growing and Propagation Soil Management Other(s) (please specify): _______________________________

Classroom

Correspondence

On-farm

Workshop

Other(specify)

Classroom

Correspondence

On-farm

Workshop

Other(specify)

a) Would you like to receive additional agriculture training in the future? Yes No Not Sure b) If yesor not sure, check all that apply. If no proceed to question 15. a. Business Skills Bookkeeping and Recordkeeping Business Planning Communication Skills (oral and written) Computers and Technology (basic) Computers and Technology (advanced) Management Training Marketing and Sales Research and Development Secondary Processing Succession Planning Staff Supervision Other(s) (please specify): _______________ b. General Skills Biosecurity Practices Environmental Management First Aid/ Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Food Safety Grading / Inspection HACCP (Hazardous Analysis Critical Control Point) Machine Maintenance Machine Operation Organic Practices Skilled Trade(s) (specify): ______________________ WHMIS 73

Other(s) please specify): c. Husbandry Skills Animal First Aid/Care (basic) Animal Husbandry Feedlot Work Herdsperson Meat Cutting Milking / Milk Handling Other(s) (please specify): _______________

______________________ Horticulture Skills Greenhouse / Garden Centre Work Harvesting Irrigation Management Landscaping Pest Management / Chemical Application Planting, Growing and Propagation Soil Management Other(s) (please specify): _______________

9. What are the top three reasons you havent received the training you would like to receive? No training opportunities of interest available Insufficient time to attend training Could not obtain external funding for training (ex government, employer) Could not personally afford to pay for training Training was too far away Training was held at an inconvenient time of year (ex - during harvest) Training was held at an inconvenient time of day Other(s) (specify): _____________________________________________ 10. What time of year would you most likely participate in training (check one only)? Spring Summer Fall Winter Anytime 11. What time of day would you most likely participate in training (check one only)? Morning (8-12) Afternoon (12-4) Evening (4-9) Day-long (9-5) Anytime 12. What length of course would you most likely participate in (check only one)? 1-7 days 1-4 weeks 1-3 months 3-6 months 6-12 months 1-2 years 2-4 Years More than 4 years 74

13. How much would you be able and willing to personally spend on training (check only one)? None $500 or below $501-$1000 $1001-$5000 $5001-$10,000 Above $10,000 14. What type of training would you prefer? (check all that apply): Classroom Correspondence Mentoring On-site/on-farm Workshop/Seminar Other (please specify): _____________________ Not sure Section 3: Employee Information 15. Do you have paid employees? Yes No If No was selected skip to question 21. 16. Approximately how many of the following types of employees have you had on staff in the past year (select all that apply)? Full time (35 or more hours per week for at least 49 weeks per year) __________ Part time (less then 35 hours per week for at least 49 weeks per year)__________ Seasonal (employed only during part of the year, ie harvest time)_____________ Casual (employed on a call-in basis) ____________________________________ Other (please specify) _______________________________________________

17. Have you had difficulty filling paid positions in the past two years? Yes No Not sure 18. Have any of your employees stopped working at your business in the past two years? Yes No Not sure If you selected No or Not sure proceed to question 20.

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19. Please indicate how many employees ceased working at your farm in the past two years for the following reasons: Reason for Leaving Job # of Employees
To continue education Retired Unable to work due to injury or illness New job within agriculture industry New job outside of agriculture industry Laid off due to a shortage of work Laid off due to lack of money to pay employee Fired Dont know/dont remember Other (please specify):______________

20. Do you provide training for your employees? Yes No Not sure If yes, please describe the training you provide: ________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 21. a) Are you planning on hiring any new employees in the next two year? Yes No Not sure b) If yes, how many of the following types: Full time workers _____________ Part Time workers ____________ Seasonal workers _____________ Casual workers ______________ Other (please specify) ___________________________________ Not sure what type I will be hiring.

22. Do you anticipate having difficulty finding labour in the next two years? Yes No Not sure 23. The following question is based on a program in Quebec that provides farmers with access to affordable, part-time, skilled labour while giving skilled farm employees fulltime, year-round work. It does so by pooling the part-time needs of about eight farmers (with varying schedules) so that together they can provide a full-time job to an employee (and share the costs). Would you be interested in participating in a labour-sharing initiative such as this? Yes No Not sure

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24. Do you feel there should be more training opportunities available for agriculture employees? Yes No Dont know 25. Which types of training delivery do you think would be most beneficial for agriculture employees (check all that apply)? Classroom On-site/On-farm Correspondence Workshop/Seminar Other (please specify): _____________________ None 26. In which skill areas would agriculture employees most benefit from additional training (check all that apply)? a. Business Skills b. General Skills Bookkeeping and Recordkeeping Biosecurity Practices Business Planning Environmental Management Communication Skills (oral and written) First Aid/ Occupational Health and Computers and Technology (basic) Safety (OHS) Computers and Technology (advanced) Food Safety Management Training Grading / Inspection Marketing and Sales Machine Maintenance Research and Development Machine Operation Secondary Processing Organic Practices Succession Planning Skilled Trade(s) (specify): Staff Supervision ______________________ Other(s) (specify): Other(s) (specify): ___________________ ______________________

c. Husbandry Skills Animal First Aid/Care (basic) Animal Husbandry Feedlot Work Herdsperson Meat Cutting Milking / Milk Handling Other(s) (specify): _____________________

Landscaping Pest Management / Chemical Application Planting, Growing and Propagation Soil Management Other(s) (specify): _____

d. Horticulture Skills Greenhouse / Garden Centre Work Harvesting Irrigation Management 77

27. What are the top three obstacles you see in obtaining training for your employees? Employees quitting after training No training opportunities of interest available Insufficient time to attend training Could not obtain external funding for training (ex government, employer) Could not personally afford to pay for training Training was too far away Training was held at an inconvenient time of year (ex - during harvest) Training was held at an inconvenient time of day Other(s) (specify): _____________________________________________ Section 4: Demographic Information 28. Gender Male Female 29. Year of birth ______________________ 30. What is your highest level of formal education?
Grade 9 or less Some high school High school diploma General Education Development (GED) Adult Basic Education (ABE) Some College Some University Completed College (please specify program) ___________________________________ Completed University (please specify program) _________________________________ Other (Specify) ___________________________________________________________

Section 5: Final Comments 31. Do you have any other comments to make about training and employment in the agriculture industry? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________ 32. Do you have any comments or concerns on issues in the agriculture sector outside of human resources? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________ Thank you for your time and participation!

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Survey Definitions Animal Husbandry The agriculture practice of breeding and raising livestock. Biosecurity Practices Precautions taken to minimize the risk of introducing an infectious disease onto a farm, particularly into an animal population. Bookkeeping and Recordkeeping The recording of acts and transactions of a business. Commodity A physical substance, such as vegetables, animals or milk, which can be bought and sold. Computers and technology (basic) The ability to perform basic functions on a computer such as turn it on/off, browse the web, check and write emails, create, save, open word files Computers and technology (advanced) The ability to perform higher functions on computers and/or with specialized electronic equipment. Some examples of this are creation and manipulation of databases, use of excel, bookkeeping and recordkeeping software, etc. Correspondence A field of education that aims to deliver education to students who are not physically "on site. This may be done by mail or internet for instance. Environmental Management The practice of identifying environmental issues on farms and implementing measures to maintain economic viability while simultaneously protecting natural resources. Includes air and water pollution management, deadstock disposal, waste management, etc. Family Farm A farm owned and operated by a family and potentially, passed down from generation to generation. Feedlot Work The duties carried out in the confined yard area where livestock are kept. Includes watering and feeding facilities where cattle are kept for the purpose of production. Food Safety A scientific discipline describing the handling, preparation and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illnesses. HACCP (Hazardous Analysis Critical Control Point) A food safety and self-inspection system that highlights potentially hazardous foods and how they are handled in the food service environment. Herdsperson Someone who tends or drives domestic animals in groups, especially on open pasture or land. Includes many elements of animal husbandry as well. 79

Inspection/Grading Assessing agriculture products for safety and quality. Irrigation The artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops. Training would include constructing and utilizing an irrigation system. Mentor A trusted counselor or teacher, especially in occupational settings. Nutraceutical A foodstuff that is held to provide health or medical benefits in addition to its basic nutritional value also called a functional food Organic Practices Growing agricultural products without the use of conventional pesticides or artificial fertilizers. Livestock are reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones. Pest Management/Chemical Application The practice of applying chemicals to crops in order to control pests. Propagation The process of artificially or naturally distributing or spreading plants. Soil Management The sum total of all operations, practices and treatments used to protect soil and enhance its performance. Succession Planning A continuous process to plan for the transfer of knowledge, skills, labour, management, control and ownership of the farm business between one generation and the next

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APPENDIX B

CUMO Information

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CUMO Cte-du-Sud
Choosing the Co-op Model The cooperative movement has been part of Quebec tradition for almost 150 years. In the Chaudires-Appalaches and Bas Saint-Laurent areas along the south shore of the St. Lawrence, producers were familiar with established co-ops such as the Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA), a part of rural life since 1924. As in other agricultural areas of the province, farmers found the co-operative movement useful in responding to their practical needs. One major problem facing farmers remaineda shortage of skilled farm workers. Many local industries offered full-time employment with better pay and benefits than the farmers who could only offer seasonal or part-time employment. The competition for workers was forcing a number of small farmers to consider quitting agriculture.

Many small Quebec producers were familiar with a new type of co-op which pooled the use of agricultural equipment. The Cooprative dutilisation de matriel agricole (CUMA) was imported from France in 1991 and modified to fit the Quebec context. It gave its members the opportunity to access agricultural equipment at the lowest cost possible and according to the needs of each of its members. With the help of the Quebec ministry of agriculture and fisheries, this model was adapted to meet the needs of a farming community searching for skilled, part-time workers. In 1995, the first of these new co-ops was born in the Bas Saint-Laurent. In 2001, after two years of active canvassing and organization, the Cooprative dutilisation de main doeuvre (CUMO) Cte-du-Sud was established in La Pocatire.
The Co-op Advantage

For the producers of this agricultural area, the CUMO model offered an affordable and reliable source of skilled workers; for the workers, it provided full-time, year-round employment with variety and good labour standards. The model pools the part-time needs of approximately eight producers to create a full-time job for each agricultural worker. CUMO provided a practical solution to farmers while creating local jobs for workers in this economically depressed region. The formation of the co-op allowed producer/members to remain in agriculture. It also provided lifestyle benefits for small producers.

Key Strategies

Once the decision was taken to form the co-op, meetings were held to attract farmer members and workers as quickly as possible. The plan was simpledevelop a base of approximately 200 members to allow the co-op to become self-sufficient. At this level, 82

the co-op reaches its break-even point through annual memberships and administrative fees charged monthly to producer/ members. Another critical factor was the need to create a pool of experienced agricultural labourers. CUMO programs and mutual aid through meetings and a partnership with the local agricultural institute. The strategy creates a source of younger, skilled workers for its members while promoting the CUMO model to workers from within a recognized agricultural institution.
Risk Management

At this early stage of its development, CUMO relies on government subsidies to operate. However, the co-op believes it will attain self-sufficiency within the next two years. It is meeting the practical needs of its members, allowing their farming operations to remain viable while creating jobs within the region. It has established strategic partnerships with an agricultural training institution as well as with the UPA, a group which originally viewed CUMO as a competitor for skilled farm workers. CUMO is a practical and promising co-op model. There are many local farmers interested in becoming members. The principal obstacle to the increased growth of the co-opand its resulting self-sufficiencyis the lack of a stable and trained work force to meet the needs of its producer members. A loss of employees to more attractive jobs with other local industries remains one of the big challenges facing CUMO.
Member Investment

CUMO Cte-du-Sud is still a relatively unknown co-operative model. To establish the co-op, it has adopted a basic membership structure designed to fit its members financial situations. An annual fee of $200, often spread over a number of monthly payments, gives the producer members access to an employee. Members receive a monthly invoice from the co-op for the services of the CUMO employee plus an eight per cent administrative fee to cover some of the operating costs of the co-op.
Member Benefits

The low membership cost and access to a part-time employee are major incentives for small producers in the area to join the co-op. The availability of trained, reliable and affordable labour has allowed many to remain in farming and some to expand their operations. All members view the establishment of their co-op as a means of ensuring the future of small farming operations in the area. Aside from its contribution to the economic viability of these small farmers, the co-op has made the farming lifestyle more practical. Members now have time for a family life, vacations and more involvement in their communities.
Future Outlook and Challenges

The single most important issue for CUMO is the availability of skilled agricultural labour. The co-op faces considerable challenge from local industries offering betterpaying jobs with employee benefit packages. Without more skilled workers, the co-op cannot attract more members and reach self-sufficiency. 83

However, local businesses also face cycles in their industries where they must lay-off employees. In time, CUMO may develop a base of skilled workers interested in remaining in a stable and local job in the agricultural sector. As well, younger workers from agricultural training institutions just beginning their careers will contribute to the pool of labourers available to the co-op. Once CUMO reaches this critical stage where there is a certainty of available workers, the co-op can expand its membership and attain self-sufficiency.

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APPENDIX C

Farmer Comments

85

General -It was a popular sentiment among non-supply managed farmers that it was very difficult to turn a profit. These farmers felt that was not the case for the supply-managed side of the agriculture industry. -There is no minister dedicated entirely to the agriculture industry, which is an issue. With Natural Resources Minister in charge of huge industries like oil and gas and it is hard to dedicate any time to a small industry like Agriculture in our province. -It is a full time job to learn about and apply for the funding currently available. Farmers do not have this time. -We have to accept the fact that at this point, we are not Nova Scotia or Ontario. We have a small industry and we need to cooperate! Share resources, etc! -We need to look at Quebec for some of their modeling. They have very innovative programs and a very strong industry. For instance, they have a program which gives new farm operators 40,000 towards their farms upon completing post-secondary in agriculture. They also have the CUMO program for sharing labour. -Networking-Farmers would like to see a network of farms working together to raise awareness. Too often there is opportunity to network and no uptake because farmers are not aware of their own industries initiatives and fearful to offer their own as they may be stolen. Unaware farms are organizing their own events and do not know the simplest details as how to even access promotional materials designed to advance the industries awareness often leaving and unfair advantage to other farms that know how to access and organize these details. Unfortunately these farms are an older generation and again leave a gap for the young farmers. -I did an Environmental Assessment through Natural Resources over 12 months ago and still havent heard from them. Have experienced many, similar things over the years and am very dissatisfied with the management of the industry. -There is no lack of surveys being done but nothing being done with them; it is frustrating. There is so much to be learned from other provinces and areas. - Years ago back in the mid 90s there was a great push on by the government and there were various stakeholders getting regional plans happening, promoting farming, produce, storage facilities. Except for 1 or 2 exceptions everyone in Portugal Cove crowd and the Lesters farm crowd, nothing has changed in agriculture. It has gotten dismally worse as a business owner and a consumer. - Applied for government funding in May, have not heard back by November, I am wasting time filling out applications that are ignored

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-There is a big problem with APF and also with administering funding, misinterpreting guidelines. There are problems and issues with the NLFA. -Communications. Even if there are programs people who really need them are unaware of them, not being educated properly. There is too much bureaucracy, and red tape. Demographics -Young people hoping to go into agriculture may not have large sums of money or any credit history making it difficult to get into the industry. -Obviously the high age of farmers is a problem and we are loosing farms to other sorts of development. The province needs to start planning for how to get young people interested and how to help them do it - Need a transition in place from old farmers to young and help get land available that is not currently in use for young farmers. Business Information -As one farmer put it, if regulations keep going as they are going we will only have corporate and hobby farms left. Mid-sized farmers will be run out of business. -Its one thing after the other. How do you find out how to get grants, how to get land? They want young farmers but what are they supposed to do, wake up and a barn will be in there yard? It is too hard to get crown land. - Feels that the middle-aged farmers who are already into farming are not receiving any help and they truly need it. The influx of products from PEI, Nova Scotia and Mexico are impossible to compete with. A farmer in Newfoundland has to pay $25 for a bag of fertilizer and one in Nova Scotia only has to pay about $8. Farmers need help and need help fast -Over 50% of cattle businesses in the province have ceased to exist in the last five years. The same thing will continue to happen if changes are not made to the sector. -In order to get into farming in the beginning, an individual needs 0.5 million dollars. -Collaboration and alignment of efforts needed. In order for a solution to work, there needs to be collaboration and co-operation from all three levels of government, commodity groups and farmers. - I cannot get any stamps so that I can receive EI. It is unfair that those working in the fisheries can get stamps but those in agriculture cannot. What is the difference? - Agriculture is so diversified that it is difficult to generalize a one-size fits all. Non supply and supply are two different worlds. Marketing boards take care of all the marketing and stuff for supply-managed. We need different programs for different needs. No program fits them all. It changes from region to region and types of farming. - Industry not viewed as professional. 87

-Co-operative in PEI for beef farmers. They hire professional finishers and sell all their beef to him to finish and market it. Why cant we have that? PEI has only 125,000 people. - Small farmers are gradually being phased out. Even this year they changed a program whereby you need to make a lot of money to qualify for programs, the people making decisions with regards to dairy farmers, the small guys are getting squeezed out. Now the small guys cant get 2500 towards land clearing and you need to make between 15 and 20,000. It is counterproductive. You hear all this about help from small farmers and it is mostly bull. The dairy farmers have enough of the monopoly that they can survive, other areas of farming dont have that. Efforts need to be made to include small farmers in decision-making processes. An effort to save the small farmers is needed. The diseases and problems of expanding and large farms is now evident. - As a small farm owner, my biggest frustration by far, is the fact that my business is treated like lepers by commercial banks. My farm needs to win the favor of a bank so that we can enjoy the obvious benefit of low interest Long Term Capital. Training Needed -A great place to farm farmers is in the urban areas. There are higher concentrations of people here. This would be the most beneficial area for a pilot training program The pilot could consist of part urban, part rural and part classroom. (2:2:1) -Anyone with interest in farming should take a farm business course. Preferably they should learn on the ground here as the conditions and the terrain is so much different. - Succession is one of the biggest things because you put so much work into a farm. - There also needs to be an apprenticeship program in place to facilitate learning and assist in providing labour for farmers. -Marketing- all farm women seem to produce their goods very well but often do not have the skills to understand where or how to sell them. Finding out the price to sell them at as well as where to sell them is a major challenge for most. Business-Many farms are not open to the public and therefore do not understand that once a product is produced and a market has begun that the public demands that these products must be produced continually and with the same controls where quality pertaining to all our human senses needs to be addressed and maintained. There is a commitment that needs to be understood by farmers to produce or process these goods repeatedly with the same level of quality. -Accounting-Taxation pertaining to farm businesses changes and unless there is an email or a phone call there seems to be a gap in learning from year to year the changes that have occurred and how they affect our farming businesses. Many farmers are diversifying into areas that are new to them to and they need access to technology. Farmers should be encouraged each year to update their programs as well as learn how to use them effectively. Perhaps if the province hired someone that could go out on the farms, set up their accounts with them to get them started, be there to answer questions and help prepare their year end it would benefit the industry. 88

-Insurance-Farms are opening their doors to the public and many of them are unaware of the insurance packages they should have. Farmers need to understand what coverage they need, at what cost and whether they can competitively get coverage. Too many farmers pay unnecessary premiums for insurance that does not give them the coverage they really need. -Food Safety-Government has supported Food Safety but food safety is still not reaching the farms. If the farms that produced foods were set up with a program that had a start and finish date there would be uptake of the programs. The Agrifoods industry is small and what seems to happen is there are some groups that know about the initiatives that are made and how to use them to help their farms marketability but there are also farmers that cannot get the help they are asking for due to bias. Food Safety is looked upon as an advantage one farm has over the other and farmers who are contacted to start such a program will not inform other farms how to implement a food safety program or even who to contact. Some farms have contacted the hired staff and began consultations and did not get any follow through from the staff. - No funding available for travel in Newfoundland for training or workshops. Employee Information -Availability of labour (skilled and unskilled) is a problem. -Image of farming has a huge negative effect in attracting people to agriculture. -Agriculture is not represented at job fairs and is not predominant as a career opportunity. -Labour for the industry is non-existent between Alberta and the offshore industry. There are a lot of casual, few-day jobs that no one is interested in. - Labour market is so diminished right now. Farming will be facing the same as the service industry, except worse. This is going to increase as the Hebron deal comes in. - Finding labour in the next two years is unpredictable. It is directly related to how much you can pay. Have to know how to set up to work efficiently to get monies worth. - Just may need someone for 2 weeks mid-summer for weeding. It is hard to find someone for that amount of time. - It costs money to have them (employees) on farm and then putting out even more to train them plus the risk of them leaving. Our problem here is that unskilled labour is heading out West. Finding someone that can work and you can trust that you wont have to look after all the time. That is the nature of the business. Takes a long time to build trust so that you can leave them and when you come home all the work will still get done. - It would be nice to find access to good employees. It is a never-ending battle. Seems to be the same all around. You cant afford to pay 25 or 30 dollars an hour like out west. Even the construction companies are paying 18-20 an hour. It is the nature of the beast, 12-14 hour day business, to keep someone around who wants to work those sorts of hours. 89