The PEI Agriculture Sector Council is pleased to present the 1st Annual Canadian Agriculture Literacy Week (CALW) on Prince Edward Island, February 26 – March 3, 2012. The CALW will provide an opportunity for students to learn about agriculture through storybooks and interaction with representatives from the agriculture industry. Nine provinces across Canada are participating in partnership with founding sponsor Farm Credit Canada.
During the week, farmers and industry representatives will visit participating Kindergarten to Grade 6 classes across the Island and read an agricultural-themed story book, share their own agricultural experiences, and complete an agricultural awareness activity. Students will learn more about where their food comes from and the importance of agriculture to Prince Edward Island.
Canadian Agriculture Literacy Week Cultivates Young Minds on PEI
The Canadian Agriculture Literacy Week was a huge success on PEI with 35 classes from across the Island participating.
Watch the video to see the enjoyment of two of the participating classes.
The PEI Agriculture Sector Council would like to thank all participating readers for visiting classrooms and bringing their enthusiasm for agriculture. A big thank you also goes out to all participating teachers for inviting an agricultural presenter into their classes. The response has been extremely positive with students gaining a greater understanding and appreciation for the Island’s agriculture industry.
The Canadian Agriculture Literacy Week would not have been possible without the support of founding sponsor Farm Credit Canada. The PEI Agriculture Sector Council is looking forward to another great Canadian Agriculture Literacy Week in 2013!
Millennial Workers
Workshop.
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- Post employment opportunities - Receive employment applications and resumes by e-mail
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Check out our interactive Employment Opportunities. You can sign up for this free and easy to use service. As a job seeker you can:
- Receive new job alerts by e-mail - Apply for positions - Attach a resume to job application
Dairy Herdsman Profile with Kyle McLeod
New Release
Canadian Agriculture Literacy week, March 3rd-9th.
Job Opening
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Full-Time Term Position to March 31st, 2015. Deadline to apply April 2nd, 2014. Due to late notice, applications sent after the deadline will be considered.
Agriculture Employment Officers now in place
Agriculture Employment Services are available through The P.E.I. Agriculture Sector Council. If you need assistance finding a job or finding employees, this complimentary service can assist you with all your agriculture employment needs. Colleen Larter is our AOE for the West, contact at 1-855-724-3230 and Sarah Jay is our AOE for the East, Contact at 1-866-892-1091 or email info@peiagsc.ca
Educators' Workshop
Agriculture Educators’ Workshop– Aug.26th,2014 from 9:00am-3:00pm The P.E.I. Agriculture Sector Council is organizing the 15th annual Agriculture Educators’ Workshop. This is a free one day workshop designed for any teacher (kindergarten through Grade 12, education student, home school, other educator, etc.) who may be interested in incorporating agriculture into their classrooms. The theme for this year’s workshop is “Sprouting Seeds”. Registration is now open till August 5th , limited seating available. To sign up, contact Sandra MacKenzie at the PEI Agriculture Sector Council at 892-1091 or e-mail Sandra@peiagsc.ca
On May 14, 2014, Amanda Acorn of O’leary received her Certificate of Qualification at the Recognition Ceremonies held by Apprenticeship Training, which is a division of The Department of Innovation and Advanced Learning. Amanda became the first female to complete the PEI Farm Technician program after successfully completing her Blue Seal exam in June of 2013. Apprenticeship is a method of learning the skills and knowledge necessary to become a skilled worker and a certified journey person. As part of the qualifications for her Blue seal exam, Amanda completed over 6000 hours of working on a farm and 2 block release training sections. The block release training for the PEI Farm Technician program is delivered on PEI at the Farm Centre by Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture. The PEI Agriculture Sector Council would like to congratulate Amanda on becoming the sixth certified Farm Technician on PEI, and the first female. More Information
Best Acres Farms
This video created by Perry Williams focuses on highlighting the depth and commitment of our Island Farm Families and the struggles they face. The backbone of this country are the farmers. Tune in!
Robotic Milker at Willscott Dairy Farm
Agriculture technology is showcased at Janet and William Cairns in Freetown. They opened their farm to display their new robotic milking system.
E-Force PEI Online Training
Have you been looking for more training on programs such as Microsoft Word or Excel? Or wondering how a good marketing campaign or how to address human resource challenges? We've all been looking to get a edge and this is one fantastic way to do so! E-Force PEI is a free online training program to allow employers and their employees to gain new skills and knowledge to give them new skills or improve on existing ones. Feel free to give it a shot and see what new skills you can pick up today! There are only a limited number of course ware packages available so sign up no
Potato Roguing
Need potato roguing done? Contact Kerry MacFadgen at 330-4975. Anywhere on the Island, over 19 years of experience.
Millennial Worker Workshop
As an Employer, do you sometimes have difficulties communicating or understanding the new 'Millennial' generation? The AgSC is holding one Lunch and Learn about The Understanding the 21st Century Learner. The session will be held on March 14th at the Farm Centre, Room 107, from Noon- 1 pm. The event is free of charge and lunch is provided. Dr. Audrey Penner will be facilitating the event and all are welcome. Please register ASAP. Thank you.
New PEI Beef Brand
PEI has a new beef brand! This new brand will market specifically Island raised beef to central and western Canada. There will be a higher premium payed to Producers for their high quality animals.
Dreams Can Come True- Careers in Ag
This video encompasses some of the incredible careers in agriculture. Thinking about one? Check this out.
Graduate Mentorship Program
Skills PEI have launched the Graduate Mentorship Program. This allows Private Sector (incl Agriculture) to hire recent graduates at a subsidized wage rate. The deadline to apply is May 17th, 2013.
eForce
eForce program ends March 31, 2015
There are over 140 courses available in the eForcePEI.ca learning network. To insure availibity of any courses that you are interested in, register now and open the course. This will allow you access for one year.
The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) is launching a comprehensive Labour Market Information (LMI) research survey to examine Canada’s agricultural workforce from every commodity and region across the country. The Conference Board of Canada will conduct the survey on behalf of the Council, and is seeking participation from more than 1,000 producers, farm workers and stakeholder organizations from November 12 through to January 22, 2015.All producers across Canada are encouraged to complete the short online survey at http://cahrc-ccrha.ca/have-your-say to ensure their farm’s needs are included in this important work that will help government and educators meet future farm labour requirements. Responses are strictly confidential.
Within the agriculture sector on PEI there is always a need for skilled and semi-skilled workers on a seasonal and year round basis. The idea and function of this project is to provide training to UPEI/AVC students that have an interest in Agriculture.
In conjunction between the PEI Agriculture Sector Council and the Dairy Farmers of PEI, we will be providing a training course on how to become a Relief Dairy Milker.
With fewer youth having a connection to the family farm, we are experiencing a labour gap within the Dairy industry. With development of this project we are hoping to recruit youth to fill some of those HR gaps on the farm by providing this training course.
The 2 ½ day course will provide you with skills and training to help provide you with employment and will help meet the growing needs of our farms.
The course will be delivered as follows:
Wednesday, January 21st from 6:00-9:00pm
Safety and WHIMIS Training delivered by Workers Compensation and the Federation of Agriculture
Saturday, January 24th from 8:30am-3:30pm
Training and theory delivered by the Dairy Farmers of PEI
Sunday, January 25th from 5:30am-3:30pm
Visits and on-site training at various Dairy Farms on PEI
Once training is complete, participants will be registered on our Dairy Relief Milker Web Site where they can connect with farm for employment opportunities. Also, the site provides the farmer the ability to look for Relief Milkers in their locality.
Relief Milking in particular is part-time work that can fit many schedules and allows both parties the flexibility of attending to other work and family requirements and allow the ability to balance other commitments. We are looking for anyone who has an interest in the dairy sector to register or call.
The website can be viewed on the Dairy Farmers of PEI and the PEI Agriculture Sector Council’s website www.peiagsc.ca/dairyrelief. For further information, please call the office at toll-free at 1-866-892-1091.
To register, contact Laurie at 902-892-1091 or email laurie@peiagsc.ca
Deadline Jan 9th, 2015
Join us for Breakfast at Inn on the Hill, February 12, 2015 at 10am
Join us for Breakfast at the Inn on the Hillon Thursday, February 12 at 10:00am for an information session hosted by PEI Agriculture Sector Council and presented by La Coopérative d’intégration francophone de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard. Please contact our office at 892-1091 to register for the event by Feb 9th. You must be pre-registerd for this event to attend.
Invitation: information session on an internship program in agriculture
Farmers looking for skilled workers are invited to an information session given by La Coopérative d’intégration francophone de l’Î.-P.-É. on an internship program intended to recruit young skilled workers from France and Belgium. Farmers that are interested in possibly participating in this project will be responsible for employing the intern and all cost associated will be defined by La Coopérative d’intégration francophone de l’Î.-P.-É. The Farmers will be advised of an array of services such as matching the farms and interns, intercultural workshops, settlement assistance for the interns, assistance with the work contract, etc. The term of the work contract will be from 3 to 24 months. This is a unique experience for open-minded farmers looking to hire skilled and affordable workers. This project is developed and executed by LaCoopérative d’intégration francophone de l’Î.-P.-É. (CIF). CIF’S mission is to welcome and to help settle and integrate newcomers into the Francophone community while maintaining and increasing the Francophone population on Prince Edward Island.
Farm Tech 2015
Farm Tech was an amazing success with 18 applicants completeing the 2015 Block Release. The program was featured on:
CBC Radio and CBC Compass- Nancy Russell on Jan 23
The Guardian- Jim Daye on Jan 23
The Island Farmer- Andy Walker Feb 4
Thank you to everyone for all your efforts!
Milk House Safety Video
Check out the new Milk House Safety Video from the PEI Federation of Agriculture.
Project partners- Dairy Farmers of PEI, Workers Compensation Board of PEI & PEI Agriculture Sector Coucil More Information
Tractor Safety Course
Tractor safety courses are being offered through the PEI Federation of Agriculture in partnership with the FCC Ag Safety Fund. For more information, please contact Charlotte Crooks at the PEI Federation of Agriculture. 902-368-7289 or email: charlottec@peifa.ca More Information More Information
Ag Science Awards Recipients
Congratulations to all award recipients!
School Recipient Grade
Bluefield Logan Ford 11
Ch'town Rural Stephen Gaudet 12
Colonel Gray Brandon MacAdam 12
Kinkora Molly Murphy 12
Kensington Kelsey Haslam 12
Montague Jory Donovan 11
Morell Emily Woods 12
Souris Brandyn Creamer 12
Three Oakes Isaac Stavert 12
Westisle Spencer Ellis 12
Announced July 31, 2015 Sector Cuts
The P.E.I. government has cut its support for a collection of industry support groups by 35 per cent.
The councils co-ordinate specific industry sectors, compiling labour market information for the province and working toward common goals.
P.E.I. Agriculture Sector Council
Culture P.E.I.
Innovation and Technology Association of P.E.I.
Aerospace P.E.I.
P.E.I. BioAlliance
P.E.I. Health Sector Council
P.E.I. Trucking Sector Council
Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I.
Canadian Home Builders Association
In 2014, the sector councils' total funding was $1.145 million. This year it's $767,000.
Congratulations to our 2016 PEI Agriculture Employee of the Year Award winner, Mr. Wilfred Gillis of Gro-Co Farms, Kensington sponsored by Kool Breeze Farms.
Congratulations to our 2016 PEIAgriculture Employer of the Year Award winner, W.P. Griffin Inc. of Elmsdale sponsored by T&K Fire and Safety.
Congratulations to our PEI Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Minister’s Dedication to Agriculture Award winner Mr. Blair Gallant of W.P. Griffin Inc., Elmsdale sponsored by the PEI Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Syrian Refugees
Need farm labour....we have refugees looking for jobs in agriculture. If you have any openings and are interested please contact us immediately
Food & Farming Champion Award Nominations Requested
Farm & Food Care recognizes PEI “Champions” who work to tell agriculture's story.
The “Food & Farming Champion” Award is presented to individuals, organizations or businesses who have taken the initiative to engage with consumers in a conversation about food and farming in PEI. Nominees are individuals who are passionate about food and agriculture and are proud of our industry – they use their skills to share their stories and provide consumers with accurate information about agriculture and food production.
Nominations are to be submitted to Farm & Food Care by March 30, 2018. The selection committee will choose a winner from the nominations and the award recipient will be honoured at the Farm & Food Care PEI Workshop on April 13th.
• Nominations are open to any who have taken an active role in promoting food and farming.
• Nominations will be accepted from all farmers, food partners, commodity groups, and members of the Farm & Food Care Steering Committee. Steering Committee members, however, are not eligible for nomination.
• You may nominate more than one individual, organization, or business.
2018 Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month READERS/PRESENTERS NEEDED
March will now by Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month(CALM). We are looking for industry representatives and farmers to consider volunteering their time to teach our youth about agriculture. If you would be interested please contact us at 892-1091 Thanks!
Gen Ag
The intention of the GEN AG Program is to inspire high school students to consider careers in agriculture by engaging them in exploring the diversity of agriculture-related career opportunities available in their home provinces, in Canada and around the world.
During GEN AG 2017, students will work together in small groups as marketing companies in order to develop and implement creative and innovative marketing ideas that promote ag-sector careers to high school students in their schools.
Each class participating in GEN AG 2017 will be eligible for the following supports:
·a free field trip or classroom presentation
·$100 per group to support development and implementation of marketing ideas
A minimum of seven classes is required to deliver the program. Additional class time may be required. If students from your class advance to the provincial GEN AG Competition, then more time will be required in order to prepare them for the competition.
The Commercial Vehicle Registration Program has recently undergone some work to help address improperly registered vehicles on PEI roads.
These changes will come into effect on October 3. 2016.
Commercial vehicles include farm related equipment such as a tractor, loader, dump truck, horse trailer, backhoe, livestock trailer, or a vehicle, such as a pickup truck, over 4,500 KG. Access PEI and the division of Highway Safety, of the Department of Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy, have streamlined the Commercial Vehicle Registration Program to ensure that only safe and properly registered vehicles travel our Island roadways.
For more information, please visit:
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/transportation-infrastructure-and-energy/commercial-vehicle-safety-and-registration More Information
Reaping what they sow
Congratulations to William Brander, Larry Sudbury and David Murphy for completeing their GED to be eligible to write their PEI Farm Technician Apprenticeship Program exam! More Information
The Employment Journey on PEI
Check out the new info on the Employment Journey site! More Information
Funding for Producers
Skills for Success - ATTENTION PEI AGRICULTURE PRODUCERS!
Looking ahead with the winter season approaching…it could be a good time to focus on your personal development.
To finally take that bookkeeping course, driver training course, or any eligible hands-on, skill-focused training event that is specific to your learning requirements.
You could be eligible for 50% funding to a maximum of $2,000/year for skills training under the Business Development Program, and 50% funding to a maximum of $1,000 over the life of CAP (2018-2023) for eligible software required for approved training. All you need to do is find the training event you’re interested in and submit a course description and quote for expenses with your completed training application form either by email to businessdevelopment@gov.pe.ca or regular mail:
PEI Department of Agriculture and Fisheries c/o Agriculture Program Officer
2018 Agricultural Labour Market Information Survey
2018 Agricultural Labour Market Information Survey Ensure a Healthy Future for Agriculture
The 2018 LMI survey is here!
From October 12 to November 30, 2018, the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) is surveying stakeholders on the state of agricultural labour in Canada. We ask all owner-operators, agricultural workers and supporting stakeholder groups to take part to guide future action on the growing workforce crisis.
Canada is one of the largest agriculture exporters in the world. However, our ability to produce food is being threatened by our inability to find and retain a qualified, reliable workforce. Every province and commodity in Canada is affected by the agriculture sector’s chronic and significant labour shortages. And these shortages will only intensify as the global market for Canadian agricultural products rapidly expands to meet the demands of a growing world population.
Ongoing evaluation of the current labour market for Canada’s agricultural industry assists in quantifying shortages facing agriculture and accurately forecasting worker requirements. The research will also provide valuable information to job seekers, educators and government policymakers about current and future job opportunities, as well as inform agricultural employers about potential sources of workers for their operations.
We appreciate your taking the time to provide input on agricultural workforce issues. We invite you to complete the online survey.
Help us find solutions to labour shortages in Canada by participating in the Labour Market Information research study TODAY.
A Backgrounder and CAHRC News Brief are provided for you to include in your newsletter or other communication efforts to encourage your members to make their voices heard by participating in the survey.
If you have any questions or need more information, please feel free to contact Debra or Janet at any time. Thank you in advance for sharing this important information which will be used by policy makers to shape future agricultural labour decisions.
