Farming Smarter receives grant to launch farmer mentorship program

From beets to beef, potatoes to pigs, and everything in between, agriculture is the heart of southern Alberta. 

The region has nearly 70 per cent of Canada’s irrigated farmland, and contributes 20 per cent of the area’s GDP. 

Leading the charge are thousands of experienced farmers who have spent decades perfecting their craft, while a new generation of agricultural experts is hungry and eager to learn. 

Connecting these cohorts across a large region like southern Alberta has proven challenging. Farming Smarter looks to solve this problem with its latest program. 

We are honoured to announce that Farming Smarter has received a grant of $15,000 from the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta’s Henry S. Varley Fund for Rural Life.  

It will allow us to launch a pilot program, called Mentorship Relationships in the Agricultural Community. 

“We're very excited to receive the grant from the Community Foundation, and we're eager to see how it all unfolds,” says Sean Kjos, Communications Coordinator at Farming Smarter. 

Kjos says the initiative will connect farmers new to the industry or unfamiliar with a crop or practice they wish to adopt with an experienced farmer or agronomist who can provide guidance through a mentorship relationship. Anybody with burning questions or any uncertainties about navigating new opportunities is invited to take part. 

Participants will be asked to fill out a brief survey so that we can better understand the mentor's expertise and the mentee's needs. 

After matching mentorship pairs, we will facilitate the early introductions and initial get-togethers to help break the ice. Mentorship pairs will continue to be supported throughout the year with opportunities to meet for a conversation, even providing them with gift cards to grab a coffee or a meal. 

“A lot of these farmers operate in very rural areas and might not have the largest community, and this kind of brings that community piece to all of southwestern Alberta – it’s that kind of training and learning environment for them,” Kjos explains. 

The idea for this came from our Agronomy Battles, held in three rural communities in the region last winter. Farmers, agronomists and researchers gathered to discuss important topics like herbicide resistance, strip tillage and cover crops.  

A common piece of feedback that we received was that people enjoyed getting to learn new things from others in the industry in a smaller, more intimate setting.  

The events also revealed a new opportunity for Farming Smarter to leverage its roots in southern Alberta’s agricultural community.  

Few novices of the industry, especially young farmers, have access to mentors. There is nobody to have conversations with and explore their curiosities or lend guidance to their crafty ideas. 

This type of knowledge sharing and community building is the core of what Farming Smarter is all about. In addition to agronomy research and field trials, we also host events and regularly put out publications with these goals in mind. 

Farming Smarter is a non-profit organization and a registered charity. It is through the support of organizations like the Community Foundation that we are able to take on new and exciting initiatives like the mentorship program. 

We were one of dozens of non-profits to receive funding for much-needed projects throughout the region at the Community Foundation’s Spring Grants celebration, which took place on Thursday, May 7. 

“We’re especially excited for this year’s Spring Grants Celebration,” says Charleen Davidson, Executive Director of the Community Foundation. “In part, because we were able to fund the bulk of the applications that we received but also because we’re supporting our community with our Diamond Anniversary Grants for events that will celebrate community and the work we have done and will continue to do across the region.” 

We will launch the Mentorship Relationships in the Agricultural Community program towards the end of May. Until then, check out our upcoming events, including Fertilizer Field Day, Pivot School, and Farming Smarter Field School to stay up to date on the latest in agriculture and agronomy research.