Young Farmers Committee Notes from Meeting April 18, 2007 ...

Young Farmers Committee
Notes from Meeting
April 18, 2007 ~ Portage la Prairie
Attendance: Rob Brunel (Chair), Kyle Foster, Mike Gillis, Lonnie Gillis, Justin
Jenner, Garth McTavish, Leigh Smith, Ryan Murray, Charlie Howatt, Chris
McCallister, Jill Fallon (MAFRI), Lenore Smaldon (Staff).
The following items were identified as potential events for the Young Farmers
Committee over the course of the year:
- Business & leadership training, in conjunction with MAFRI staff
o Marketing strategies
o Forming co-ops
o Board development
o Farm profitability
o Off-farm investments
- Ag Days / Rural Forum: holding a special event in a larger room, to offer
information and speakers, in addition to the meal
o Comments: The current space is so crowded that it is difficult to
schedule speakers / displays or to do sign-ups so this will have to
be addressed.
o Suggestion: The YFC could also sponsor a speaker at Ag Days in
conjunction with this event.
- At KAP’s annual meeting – Host another bearpit session, as this was a
useful way to cover a wide range of topics
- Organize a bus tour. Suggested first week of November, but conduct a
survey of members first. MAFRI can help with alternate energy, biocomposites,
market development, etc.
- Develop an e-newsletter for members to advise of upcoming events &
announcements and direct traffic to the YFC web site.
- Discussion about how to network with young farmers from overseas. Rob
will raise this with CYFF to find out about international connections.
- Is there a way to offer web-casting or other internet-based forums to
reach a wider audience?
- Investigate setting up a chat forum on the YFC site for discussions and
questions.

Rob also noted that MAFRI Minister Rosann Wowchuk was going to be making
some program announcements for young farmers, which are outlined here:
* Establishing a new Young Farm Women Training Program aimed at empowering young women in
rural Manitoba to succeed in agricultural enterprises. The $50,000 initiative will include a series of halfday
training sessions offered at several rural locations. Topics will include financial management,
managing and marketing farm produce, insurance and human resource management. The program will be
administered through the Economy and Rural Development Knowledge Centre.
* Strengthening Manitoba's Young Farmer Rebate (YFR) program that assists young, beginning
farmers in reducing the cost of borrowing during the critical startup or expansion stages of their farming
operations. The maximum rebate available through Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC)
has been increased by 50 per cent. Clients aged 18 to 39 years are now eligible to receive a two per cent
rebate on the first $150,000 of a direct loan or Bridging Generations loan. Previously, the rebate was on
loans of $100,000. This rebate is received in each of first five years of the loan and is applied against
clients' regularly-scheduled payments. The maximum rebate available annually has increased to $3,000
from the previous $2,000 level. The maximum lifetime rebate has been increased to $15,000. The
increased rebate will help producers cope with ever-increasing farm input costs such as land and
buildings.
* Enhancing the province's Bridging Generations Initiative to make it easier to transfer farms from
one generation to the next and will help clients with cash flow pressures during the most critical periods
of their operations' development. The amount of financing available from MASC for young producers has
been raised to 90 per cent from the current 80 per cent on long-term loans such as loans for land, whole
farm or breeding stock.
* Expanding the Management Training Credit (MTC) to make the program available to all clients
under 40 years of age. The MTC provides clients with a credit of one per cent of the principal amount
borrowed, to a maximum of $2,500 per year, in each of the first five years of the loan. This change
broadens access to the MTC for young farmers by expanding the loan purposes eligible for the credit. The
MTC encourages farm-management training for young farmers in areas such as business and financial
planning, tax implications and marketing.
* Establishing a new Safe Farm Check program that will offer 60 producers a one per cent
reduction in their MASC borrowing rate, if their farms meet prescribed safe farm status. Clients will be
eligible for the interest rate reduction in each of the three years of the pilot program and will be received
by clients in the form of an interest rebate. The rebate will be applied against regularly-scheduled loan
payments and will be delivered co-operatively through MASC and Manitoba Labour and Immigration.
Participants will be provided with training, printed resources and in-person support to help them achieve
and maintain safe farm status. An evaluation of the pilot program will measure program effectiveness
and will gauge industry acceptance and participation.
* Creating a new Young Farmer Crop Plan Credit to provide a crop insurance premium credit of
$200 per year for up to three years to encourage young farmers to enroll in production insurance. The
credit will be available to farmers who are between the ages of 18 and 39 in the year they apply.
Applicants must prepare an annual cropping plan for each of the three years they are eligible for the
credit. The plan will be reviewed by the farm production advisor at their local GO Centre or GO Office by
May 31 of the applicable year.
Rob has also recently presented to the Standing Committee on Agriculture
during a hearing in Gimli. His focus was on the renewal pillar of the APF and
what programs and services may meet the needs of young farmers.

UPDATE:
Since our meeting, Jill had spoken with some MAFRI staff, and has suggested
these contacts to help schedule upcoming events:
· Marc Boulanger, Business Development Specialist in Souris is interested
in setting up a bus tour focused on Farm Energy. Marc has been involved in
the implementation of the Biodiesel Plant in Souris and is also a young
farmer. He would work with KAP YF and other departmental staff to
organize an event that would suit their needs.
· Allen Muggaberg, Business Development Specialist in Swan River is new
to our department. Previously, Allen was self-employed for several years as
an independent derivatives trader at the WCE specializing in the canola and
flax markets. It was suggested he could do a morning session and maybe the
CWB could do an afternoon session. Keith Kyle, Farm Management Specialist
is also willing to follow-up with further initiatives.
· Liz Roberts, Organization Development Specialist out of the office here
in Brandon is willing to put on a one-day workshop on Board Governance.
She would also be interested in following up on other leadership topics that
may be of interest to the KAP YF in the future. (Liz’s daughter is also a
photographer…if the guys are still thinking of doing a calendar.J)
· I also spoke to Stephanie Cruickshanks, Farm Production Advisor,
Brandon about a partnership at Ag Days. Stephanie works on program on the
Ag Days committee and is optimistic about the potential of working with the
KAP Young Farmers.