N.L. young farmers gathered to talk, learn, and eat local

by Matthew Carlson The Newfoundland and Labrador Young Farmers Forum (NLYFF) hosted its fifth annual Leadership Summit in St. John’s on Nov. 26 and 27. We once again built on the success from previous years, with positive feedback, steady attendance, and new learning opportunities added to the agenda. About 40 delegates attended the event. They included young farmers, government representatives, and other industry stakeholders. This was the first time attendees were able to choose the topics they wanted to hear about through breakout sessions. They could choose from topics important to them, such as livestock production, vegetable production, succession planning, and beginning a farm. There were a number of speakers. Cedric MacLeod, a New Brunswick beef farmer and the owner of MacLeod Agronomics, spoke about leadership and best management practices, while also touching on succession. Alberta tax and legal expert Tom James discussed succession and farm finance topics. Local farmer Chris Lester spoke about plasticulture and greenhouse growing. Jane White, a crop development specialist with the provincial government, talked about vegetable production topics. Susanne Tilley, a pesticide application specialist with the provincial government, discussed pesticide management. And I conducted a mini workshop for new entrants. Attendees also went to Lester’s Farm Market for a dinner made from local products on the first day of the conference. Chef Ross Larkin had prepared several dishes to showcase food available locally, including carrots, beets, cabbage, parsnips, and pork. This was also the first time we added virtual farm tours to the agenda. This was adapted from the Canadian Young Farmers’ Forum (CYFF) conference. Three Newfoundland producers profiled their operations at our event. Rodney Reid profiled his sheep and bee operation in central Newfoundland, Susan Lester profiled her vegetable market in eastern Newfoundland, and Nelson Fagan profiled his beef operation in eastern Newfoundland. A panel discussion by local young farmers has become a favourite part of the event. This year’s panel focused on advice to farmers and lessons learned. Panel participants were Krista Chatman, a vegetable producer, mentor, and market operator from Lethbridge; Chris Oram, a vegetable farmer and market operator from Wooddale; and Rebecca Williams, a dairy farmer from Goulds. Each of the three panel members highlighted something new or different they’ve done on their farms. Questions from the audience covered work/life balance, hay production yields, till versus no-till farming, advice for new entrants, and mentorship. Another new feature of the 2019 conference was online content for those who couldn’t attend in person. Some video and audio were recorded as part of a small pilot to see how much demand there is for such content, which is now available at nlyoungfarmers.ca. As part of the event, the NLYFF also held its annual general meeting. Three board positions were available to be filled. We are pleased to announce that Rebecca Williams is the new vice-chair, Sheldon Cameron returns as the western representative, and Jenny Reid is the new at-large representative. The Canadian Agricultural Partnership Funding provided funding to host the conference. Tom James’s presentation was sponsored in part by Farm Credit Canada. (Matthew Carlson is the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture’s young farmers coordinator. He has been with the federation since 2007 and moved into his current position in 2015.)