"Canola Field" Image courtesy of B.C.P.hoto
Author
Bree Patterson
CategoriesAgronomy; Agriculture; Millennials; Canadian Agriculture; Profile; Opinion |  Image courtesy of B.C.P.hoto People often picture scenes of wheat fields and canola when they consider small town Saskatchewan. Those are scenes that Millennial, M. Anderson, grain merchandizer and farm boy fondly remembers when he considers his connection to agriculture. Having grown up on a grain farm in west central Saskatchewan, Anderson learned work ethic, family bonds, and the dedication that goes into feeding the ever growing population. However, unlike many farm boys he decided against a major in Agricultural Sciences for his post-secondary education. As Anderson puts it, "my fascination with numbers and my need to help feed the world began with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, from the University of Saskatchewan. My choice to return to the agricultural industry proved to be successful when I landed a job with an international grain handling company." Anderson's main focus became finding a balance between lower costs to the end consumer, while supporting both Saskatchewan and Alberta farmers’ businesses, through marketing their canola. The balmy Indian summer, and the smell of grain dust in the air, filled the cab of Anderson's truck the evening I had the opportunity to chat with him over the phone. As Mr. Anderson cruised through the Saskatchewan prairies, his insightful concepts of what agriculture means to Millennials, got my gears rolling. As a stereotypical Millennial, Anderson is genuinely concerned with the cost of food. As a stereotypical Millennial, Anderson is genuinely concerned with the cost of food. He has strategically considered how he and his connection to agriculture can help create cheaper food for our growing population. When I asked Anderson what agriculture meant to him, he immediately began discussing “how important it was to make sure the world had the proper nutrition for its population’s needs”, thus allowing our growing population to live healthy and fulfilling lives. Being the finance and numbers wiz that he is, Anderson touched on how feeding the world also had to be cost effective to the grower, not just the end consumer. Anderson currently works for an international grain handling facility that specializes in canola seed processing. The company has been well known in the industry as fair and farmer friendly, something that Anderson holds dear to his heart thanks to his strong farming roots. Understanding that his employer prioritizes the farmer, it’s no wonder such a large corporation would not be initially concerned with the general public’s perception of agriculture, or agricultural practices. I called into his office the following day to find out the general consensus from his fellow colleagues regarding their understanding of their employer’s stance on public education. Their feedback led to unanimous agreement that this large agribusiness had not been focusing its resources on public education. Stats Canada states that roughly 2% of the Canadian population is working directly in the agricultural industry, a percentage that continues to decline each year. The idea that the end consumer is becoming more and more removed from their agricultural roots, has Millennial agriculturalists such as Anderson concerned with how we can find ways to proactively discuss concerns such as GMOs, pesticide usage, or other technologies implemented by farmers.  Image courtesy of B.C.P.hoto "I propose the idea that companies such as Kellogg’s or General Mills become key players in agvocating." As my conversation with Anderson continued, we began to discuss his thoughts and feelings on how to proactively connect the consumer with the producer. As often discussed by the agricultural community, when they consider best practices of agvocacy, education is the number one priority. Anderson echoed this idea, but also included a small twist – "I propose the idea that companies such as Kellogg’s or General Mills become key players in agvocating." "I feel their involvement should be equal to, if not more than, the level the agricultural community already implements. Through inclusion of tag lines on their products such as environmentally sourced, or ethically produced GMOs; I believe consumers would be encouraged to reach out and find educational material regarding GMOs, and how they actually assist the environment." Anderson touched on the importance of being proactively heard by the consumer, including direct interactions among members of the agricultural industry, compared to the documentaries found of Netflix. "I have friends who are interestingly from Saskatchewan, but have no direct ties to agriculture. These friends have made their uneducated opinions clear to me with statements such as “canola seeds are actually black, but the oil is only yellow because of all the chemicals that are pumped into it during processing”."  Image courtesy of B.C.P.hoto Unlike past generations that struggled with catastrophic events such as the World Wars, Millennial’s and their Generation Y cousins, are living a safe and secure life, with nothing more to complain about than their food." As Anderson points out “this is a first world problem, [an issue] that previous generations never worried about.” Anderson understands these types of statements are completely false due to his current employment. As previously mentioned, his employer is an agricultural commodity processor, which provides him the opportunity to fully understand the proper procedures implemented in canola oil production. As our conversation continued I probed deeper to determine Anderson's thoughts on why the general public is so concerned with present day agricultural practices. In Anderson's opinion, "the general public has nothing else to worry about. Unlike past generations that struggled with catastrophic events such as the World Wars, Millennial’s and their Generation Y cousins, are living a safe and secure life, with nothing more to complain about than their food." As Anderson points out “this is a first world problem, [an issue] that previous generations never worried about.” I pondered his statement for a moment, absorbing the fact that our generation is blessed to live in a country as safe and secure as Canada, in large part due to the countless men and women who’ve protected our country. As I continued to consider our discussion regarding how our generation understands words like GMO or pesticide, Anderson's notion that they’re simply “buzz words” in today’s society had me considering which buzz words my agricultural counterparts would use to describe Millennial agriculture. Words such as “technified”, “advancements”, “growth”, “heritage”, and “learning opportunities” were just a handful of the words used by Anderson and his Millennial colleagues. Words and vocabulary can help propel you into a clearer vision of what agriculture means to the Millennials, who are deeply connected to this industry. Anderson strongly feels, and I echo his feelings, that ideas such as documentaries, marketing, and educational opportunities are some of the first concepts to fill your mind. As my discussions with Millennial agriculturalists, like Anderson, continue to carry me to new provinces and areas, I have begun to notice a trend – Millennials want to be heard and want to be proactive, regardless of what industry, community, or culture they belong to. If we take that into consideration, I think we can easily start to change the general public’s perspective on agriculture in Canada. |
RSS Feed Bree PattersonA budding agri-communicator and agvocate, Bree can be spotted with camera in tow, throughout the Western Canadian provinces. Mingling with producers, livestock and plants - you can follow her on Twitter @justag_prod |  |