Alberta farmers will once again be able to walk into their local provincial agriculture department office for help and advice rather than phoning a centralized help desk.
“We’re back. We’re open for business,” said Jason Krips, assistant deputy minister of industry development and food safety about new Alberta Agriculture plans.
Trained staff will be at work in 13 hub offices to help farmers access agriculture programs, services and experts. Staff won’t be able to deal with every issue, Krips said, but will know how to direct farmers to the appropriate expert.
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“What we were hearing from producers and lots of industry folks is we’ve lost some of our relevance,” Krips said. “We’re realigning and having more external focus to make sure we are relevant to the needs and wants of rural Alberta.”
At one time Alberta was the envy of prairie farmers. District agriculturalists and home economists were scattered across the province to dispense advice on everything from home canning to farm shelterbelts, herbicides and cattle handling equipment.
Over the past 15 years the rural staff was let go, offices closed and farmers told to call a centralized centre for help.
Krips said the department is not moving back to the old district agriculturalist model, which put agriculture specialists in every office, but the reorganization is recognition that the department was no longer relevant to farmers.
“What we found is we were too much internally focused.”
The centralized Ag Info Centre, established in 2002, will not be dismantled, but centre staff will work closely with specialists in the hub offices to deliver programs and services.
The enhanced services will be delivered from offices in Fairview, Grande Prairie, Barrhead, Stony Plain, Leduc, Camrose, Vermilion, Stettler, Red Deer, Olds, Airdrie, Brooks and Lethbridge.
Agriculture specialists will be encouraged to attend public meetings and work with agriculture services boards and their municipalities to help deliver government services.
The number of farm water specialists will increase to six from three and the department will assess whether more specialists such as soil or crop experts are required.
The department has also hired an additional 30 staff to help livestock producers begin age verifying their animals. Armed with computers, ear tag readers and boots, staff will travel to farms helping farmers scan ear tags and record the information on farm computers.
When the government announced its $56 million livestock and meat strategy in June, part of the money was available only if producers age verified their 2008 calves. Employees will help producers’ age verify their animals before they’re sent to the auction market, where they may be penalized if they’re not age verified.
The reorganization also funnels more money into farm safety education and prevention.
“We’re a big believer that the accidents happening can be prevented based on good solid education,” Krips said.
Rod Scarlett, executive director of Wild Rose Agricultural Producers, believes the changes recognize that agriculture specialists and services need to be delivered from the country rather than downtown Edmonton where most agriculture department employees work.
It’s also recognition that not all farmers’ questions can be answered from a centralized call centre, he said.
“Agriculture in southeast Alberta is not the same as what happens in northwest Alberta.”
Scarlett said he’s pleased to see the reorganization place more emphasis on farm safety education.
“That’s a major commitment by government that’s gone underrecognized and underfunded for a long time.”
