Donors like you are helping to grow the next generation of farmers in Canada!
Help revitalize Canada’s food system. Now more than ever, we need new and young people learning how to grow ecological food. With people 35 and younger making up less than 9% (fewer than 23,000 farmers) of Canada’s farmers (less than 1.3% of the population), new farmers need your support.
Your gift will help Young Agrarians grow the next generation of farmers through educational programs. We work year round to provide farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange and training opportunities through community building educational and networking events, business mentorships, land access supports, and on-farm apprenticeships in regenerative agriculture.
In 2023, Young Agrarians worked with approximately 2,600 farmers representing 1,600 farms, to access education, land, mentorship, training, business support, and community networks. We collaborated with 250 food and farm organizations, supported programs on 11,250 acres of land, connected with over 600 landholders, coordinated 55 educational events with 2,000 attendees, and posted 200 jobs and apprenticeships online. We are working to increase local food resilience across Western Canada, to grow a new generation of ecological farmers.
Your Gift Supports Farmers Like Natasha, Thanu, and Boma
Natasha Anderson, Minwaadizi Farm, Courtenay, BC. Natasha received support through the B.C. Land Matching Program and participated in our Business Bootcamp:
“Young Agrarians met such a huge need for me, providing access to so many different programs, services, and resources. They are a holistic organization addressing many of the challenges facing new farmers today.
I don’t know where I would have gotten without the specific resources and skills provided by YA. YA enabled me to fast track – I’m up and running with my business after only a couple of seasons of working on farms – and pretty successfully. It gave me such a solid foundation, especially the business planning support portion. I really appreciated the ability to talk to a relatable person who understood the challenges and barriers I was facing. It has been such a supportive environment. YA understands the importance of cultivating community – it gives me hope.”
Secure Donation Form
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Thanu Eagalle, Wildbee Florals, Comox, BC. Thanu received support through the B.C. Land Matching Program:
“Young Agrarians exists to ensure new and young farmers have access to land and are able to thrive, which is such a valuable resource at a time when Canada needs to focus on local agriculture in the face of climate change. Having someone to support and connect you to larger networks of producers, knowledge sharers and other resources is key to creating vibrant agricultural communities.”
“I signed up for the B.C. Land Matching Program because the price of farmland was prohibitively expensive, so I needed to start off by sharing land. I also wanted to ensure that all of my efforts in soil rebuilding were protected. Creating a strong lease agreement with educational support from the Land Matcher helped put my worries to rest.”
“Having a farm that is directly impacted by the devastating effects of climate change is going to be a huge challenge for all farmers. Young Agrarians is supporting ecological farms that not only reduce emissions, but will also help communities be more resilient to the challenges of tomorrow.”
Boma Okorosaye-Orubite, Apprenticeship Program alumnus, apprenticed at Fostering Change Farm in Manitoba:
“To me, Young Agrarians means community and has provided me with a farming community – people to know and meet and share desires and aspirations with. People to give advice, support, and a listening ear about my journey. I was on my own starting this process and it has been so helpful to hear about the experiences of other farmers. The YA Apprenticeship Program opened my mind and provided different perspectives and inspiration. Those stories still keep me going, now more than a year later.
As someone who immigrated to Canada as an adult, I want to help other immigrants access locally-grown quality food. I plan to provide accessible and affordable food to the community so we can be less dependent on imports. Farming is a labor of love. It has to be for people.”
Donating Via Cheque
If you would like to give to Young Agrarians by cheque, please make it out to “Young Agrarians” and mail to: Agrarians Foundation, 2214 Sun Valley Drive, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6E8, Canada.
Tax Receipts
Agrarians Foundation, a federally registered Canadian Charity, is Young Agrarians’ organizational home. Please donate. You will receive a charitable receipt by email. Much LOVE to all of our donors, funders, supporters, friends and farm lovers! For questions about becoming a Young Agrarians donor, please email Sara at farm@youngagrarians.org.
*Farmer statistics in first paragraph from Statistics Canada 2016.