As Manitoba farmer Rob Brunel sees it, getting into the agricultural industry these days requires more business savvy and smarts than ever.
At 37 and with 15 years in the business, the Ste. Rose du Lac producer is still considered a “young” farmer.
He grows grain and oilseeds on 5,000 acres in partnership with father Paul on an incorporated family farm in northern Manitoba.
“These days with tight margins, technology, human resource issues and marketing, just wanting to farm isn’t enough,” he said in an interview during a Canadian Young Farmers’ Forum convention in Ottawa March 5. “And the smart ones that are coming back are educated, creative and are creating some amazing opportunities in the industry.”
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Brunel’s own journey back to the farm took him through the University of Manitoba, several years of working in agriculture-related jobs off the farm and then finally working to acquire an equity position in the family farm business.
Tom Button, editor of the Winnipeg-based Country Guide, told the conference that young people’s paths back to the farm are varied, but often include getting a grounding in business education or getting work experience in other businesses first.
He said succession is now a top-of-mind issue for many older farmers.
A decade ago, what kept farmers awake at night was worrying about weather, whether the inputs would work and how the harvest would go.
Now, what keeps them awake is wondering if their kids are up to running the farm, said Button.
During his presentation, he offered examples of different journeys into the business, often through education and experience off the farm before returning. In a Farm Credit Canada video shown at the conference, a young farmer says: “You need more than your father’s knowledge, you need an education.”
