Cultivating best practices: Skills training for farm employers & workers.
Since 2021, in partnership with Ignatius Jesuit Centre (IJC) and the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO), the NFU-O has offered *free* online skills training for new farmers and farm employers.
IJC’s New Farmer Training Program offers online curriculum across four terms every growing season while the NFU-O provides online human resources training, advice, and resources for seasoned and first-time farm employers every winter.
Our skills training offerings are designed to support a sustainable, resilient, and diverse workforce on small and mid-scale agricultural operations across the province.
Hiring, retention, education, and employment barriers.
There is an urgent need to train the next generation of Ontario farmers. Persistent labour shortages are straining the sector’s productivity and economic viability. With a significant portion of experienced farmers set to retire in the next 10 years, there is a risk of losing valuable agricultural land, knowledge, and expertise. Moreover, many small and mid-scale farm operators need training and support to build staff capacity, increase worker retention, and reduce the administrative burden of human resourcing.
According to our 2021 Reframing the Farm Labour Crisis in Ontario, over 42% of farm employers surveyed indicated that a lack of skills, qualifications, and experience was the number one barrier to finding qualified workers. The need to develop support for farm employers that provide on-farm training was frequently voiced by project participants. Providing human resources (HR) training for farm employers will also be essential to equip them with the skills to effectively manage and retain their workforce, and foster a positive and productive work environment.
Building farm employer & farm worker capacity.
Skills training for farm employers and workers is a crucial way to secure the province’s agricultural future, foster sustainable practices, and bolster rural communities' economic vitality. This investment in the next generation of farmers will contribute significantly to the stability and growth of the agricultural sector in the years to come.
The Ignatius New Farmer Training Program provides free online educational content geared towards new farmers, but it is open to all who might be curious about a certain topic, who wish to expand their farming knowledge, or who are in need of a refresh. Participants begin with foundational knowledge, then learn about specialized aspects of farming, and end with a focus on establishing farm businesses. Participants are welcome to join for a single webinar or sign up for a whole term.
The NFU-O HR Training Program offers a series of free online HR sessions with industry experts, covering such topics as: hiring and incentives; HR fundamentals (including adherence to employment standards and healthy and safety legislation); interpersonal dynamics, training and retention; and planning, task management, and delegation. The HR training is open to farmers who have never employed staff to farmers who would like an HR refresher. Participants are welcome to join for a single webinar or sign up for the whole series. Participants also receive access to a set of HR materials and templates.
Ignatius’s New Farmer Training Program had a critical role in making my aspiring farmer daydreams come true. Having had no previous farming experience, this program provided me with a rich and healthy foundation of practical knowledge which gave me the confidence to apply to and secure my first market garden farm internship experience.
– New Farmer Training Program participant (2023)
Want to learn more about new farmer & HR training?
Frequently Asked Questions
This Employment Ontario project is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario
The NFU-O is the accredited farm organization for you.
The NFU-O is the accredited farm organization for you.