Alberta is a province brimming with agricultural richness and diversity. Agriculture is an industry driven by passion, dedication and hard work. Youth is a finite resource that will, in turn, be the future of our world. Alberta Young Farmers and Ranchers (AYFR), is a group that aims to bring like-minded people together and provides support and education to the young people within the province who wish to ensure a strong future for our agricultural industry.
We all want to be better. We all want to improve our farms every year. We all want to have the opportunity to talk to industry leaders, hear about new innovations, and figure out how to apply things to our operations. Often that means from the unique standpoint of youth. That is the viewpoint of AYFR. We are a group that aims to provide networking opportunities, education, and mentorship to people between the ages of 18-40 that are passionate about agriculture. AYFR is the provincial organization that is under the national umbrella of the Canadian Young Farmers Forum (CYFF). The focus of CYFF is to Empower, Educate and Energize on a national level, while AYFR is hoping to do the same thing at the provincial level. Since Agriculture is such a diverse industry in Alberta, we hope to include relevant insight for everyone, including beef, dairy, poultry and crop producers.
Beyond ‘Lead the Farm’ and ‘Rock the Farm,’ AYFR is working on making connections that will bring more value to their membership. On July 6-8, AYFR began as a rebranding of the original FABB (Future Agriculture Business Builders) group in 2015. It has since begun putting on a couple of conferences annually including; ‘Lead the Farm’ in late summer, and the big one, ‘Rock the Farm,’ in February or March. The conferences are unique in that the speakers tailor their messages to young producers, a perspective that is often left out at some of the larger agricultural conferences. This really helps give new insight on what our generations’ role is on topics such as succession planning, marketing, and technology.
AYFR is teaming up with FutureFarm Canada Expo and will be having a presence at the FutureFarm Canada Expo in Olds, AB. This is going to be an exciting opportunity to learn about emerging technologies and scientific advancements. With live demonstrations and seminars, it will also be a great opportunity to network with other agriculture enthusiasts as well as enjoy some live music!
Be sure to look around the FutureFarm Canada Expo for the AYFR booth and meet some of our crew. We will be introducing some of our board members and taking an up-close look at some of their farms throughout the upcoming months with Rural Roots Canada! Stay tuned!
