Celebrating Sara Dent, YA’s Co-Founder

After 15 years of dedication, Sara Dent, Young Agrarians (YA) Co-Founder and former Executive Director, is moving onto new adventures! Sara’s tireless work to uplift the voices of new farmers has had a significant impact on the agricultural sector. YA will continue to build on this vision and impact to grow the next generation of farmers.

We want to celebrate the time Sara has put into the organization. YA has gone from a seed of an idea in 2012 – kicking off with community building farm tours and mixers – to today, where the organization operates seven different program streams. YA has grown because of Sara’s drive and commitment to reducing barriers for the next generation, the dedication of the farmers in the network, YA’s incredible staff, board of directors, and the funders and collaborators that share the vision of an ecological and regenerative food system.

Regenerating farmers is as important as regenerating the land. Canada is in a farm succession crisis, with less people farming annually, an aging farmer population, and multiple barriers to new farmers getting started. YA has developed a community economic development framework over the past 15 years that works to build farm renewal, with the long-term goal of ensuring that new generations can farm, adapt to climate change, and work towards financial viability in start-up.

YA has been Sara’s greatest professional joy! “The farmers that make up the YA network continue to inspire me daily. I will be forever grateful to have been able to see so many people’s farms, and talk to thousands of farmers across Canada. Now more than ever, food sovereignty is on people’s minds. There is an incredible wealth of knowledge across these lands – from Indigenous food systems leadership, to African-Canadian farmers, to newcomers to Canada, to women and youth from all walks of life. Both the new farmer on the land and the multi-generational farmer are essential ingredients in our food systems. Learning, supporting and mentoring each other is key to sharing knowledge towards farm renewal.”

Sara’s greatest hope for the future is a food system that is diverse, healthy and affordable for all, and that regenerates our precious ecosystems. For generations we have been land based, and have worked in relationship to nature. At this critical time in history, may we as a society collectively support those who work the land and grow the foods that sustain us.

Thank you, Sara, for your work at YA, and your dedication to growing the next generation of farmers! We are excited for what you grow next.

If you would like to reach out to Sara, you can find her over the next while starting to update her photo blog at: farmlove.org.