MAY 2017 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC Mentoring a new crop


of northern farmers Bulkley Valley sets sights on BC Young Farmers chapter


by EMILY BULMER SMITHERS – To promote


youth attendance at the Carrots to Cattle agriculture conference in Smithers in February, the Regional District of Bulkley Nechako sponsored five young people involved in agriculture to attend free of charge. Representing a broad range of interests, young people in the Bulkley Valley are digging into careers in agriculture.


Alexanne Dick, who grew up close to Ottawa, says her introduction to agriculture in the Bulkley Valley was working at local farm, Highslope Acres, for two seasons. “After that, I got involved


with Groundbreakers Collective (a food-based charity) and helped with the Kids Dig Food camp and got involved with running workshops and facilitating building school gardens,” she explains. She is currently busy writing grant applications for Groundbreakers Collective to run an agriculture-based youth employment program. “If successful, we would hire


young people between ages 15 and 30 to work on different farms around the valley and help with community gardens as well.”


Dick took environmental studies at university and completed an internship in Mexico as a food security research assistant. Colleen Mitchinson became


interested in agriculture through her involvement with the Evelyn 4-H Club. Now 19, she has been working with W Diamond Ranch as a hand and butcher. Mitchinson plans to pursue a career in agriculture by going to Olds College in Alberta to complete her meat processing certificate. “By learning more about


agriculture, I can help my neighbours, parents and other farmers” she says. Nathanial Wittwer, who


lives on W Diamond Ranch, is 17 years old and helps with many aspects of his family's farm.


“I just like farming. I especially like animal husbandry and driving the tractor,” he says. He is currently the president of the Quick Community 4-H Club and has had many 4-H projects over the years. With family ties in Switzerland, Wittwer says it is interesting to see the differences in farming between Canada and Switzerland.


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Rebecca Huxtable, 15, is a member of the Evelyn 4-H Club and raises rabbits and chickens. “I came to the conference because I wanted to see if I could upgrade the way I raise my rabbits and chickens. If I could do it more efficiently, I hope that I could make more profit.”


She says that agriculture is an important part of her life and she wants to learn how to support local farmers in the community so she in turn can see her business succeed. Jeremy Rouw, 25, co-owns


Udder View Dairy with his older brother. The pair bought the family business two years ago from their parents. Rouw says its good to


connect with other young farmers in the area. He says that Jillian Robbins from the BC Young Farmers Association has inspired young farmers in the Bulkley Valley to get together and organize. “We tried last year but it


didn't happen,” says Rouw. We're going to meet and see what direction we want to go as a local chapter. Connecting with other people who are doing the work is huge ... you can get a lot of benefit from talking to other people in the industry.”


Youth delegates at the Carrots to Cattle conference were, from left to right, Jeremy Rouw, Nathaniel Wittwer, Rebecca Huxtable, Alexanne Dick and Colleen Mitchinson. EMILY BULMER PHOTO


A helping hand Jillian Robbins spoke to


conference participants as she delivered the keynote address during the kickoff banquet. “It’s a good time to be a farmer and a good time to be a young farmer,” she says. “There are a lot of interesting programs for young farmers including the new farm startup guide and resources through government to help farmers get access to knowledge.” Robbins says that on her poultry farm in the Bradner


area, she is promoting a way for new and young farmers to try their hand at agriculture without necessarily making an out-of-pocket investment. “We have a half-acre and a hoop house that we loan out to new young farmers to test their skills and see if their idea is worth investing in,” she explains.


Robbins is excited to see so


many young people active in agriculture in northern BC. “We would like more chapters across the province, and there's interest in setting up a regional hub (in the


Bulkley Valley).” In addition to the BC Young


Farmers keynote address and sponsored seats for youth, the full day workshop on farm start ip was full. “Hopefully, a few young farmers sat down next to a few old farmers and got some tips,” says conference co-organizer Bryan Swanson. Swanson says promoting youth was a key element of the conference and that the Smithers Farmers Institute is looking for different ways to encourage younger people to get involved with agriculture.


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