CAHRC Annual Forum

CAHRC’s Annual Forum Showcased Ag HR Tools and Trends on July 6 and 7, 2011 in Charlottetown

Participants from across the country gathered to attend the Council’s Annual Forum Celebrating Solutions – Showcasing the Tools which focused on HR issues and trends in primary agriculture. CAHRC was pleased to welcome producers and representatives from farm organizations, post-secondary institutions and governments to this informative session.

The Honourable George T. Webster, Minister of Agriculture and Deputy Premier of PEI welcomed participants to PEI and delivered opening remarks.

Keynote speaker, Michelle Painchaud (Painchaud Performance Group), captured the audience’s attention with her presentation on the top 10 HR trends in agriculture. She also highlighted the importance to farmers of tools such as the web and social media, and how creating a brand and a culture specific to the farm business can make a difference in attracting and retaining the right farm workers.

Producers Presentations

Richard Strang, VP of Strang’s Produce Inc., discussed the importance of succession planning and shared his experience in the development of a succession plan for the family farm.  Alvin Keenan (PEI Federation of Agriculture) presented the highlights of the PEI Farm Technician Apprenticeship Program and shared his experiences as a program mentor.

CAHRC Project Coordinator Debra Hauer introduced the Agriculture HR Toolkit project and sought initial feedback from participants on potential topics to include in the toolkit.  Lloyd Dalziel, Executive Director, PEI Agriculture Sector Council provided an overview of the Sector Council’s work on the island during the luncheon.

The afternoon session focused on issues relating to foreign workers in primary agriculture.  Alida MacEwen, Program Officer at Service Canada - Atlantic Region, and Paul Snow, Manager Operations, PEI, ATL – CIC, presented updates to both the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP).  

Foreign Workers Hiring Experience

PEI producers Earlene Murray (D & E Pork) and Eddie Dykerman (Brookfield Gardens) then discussed their experiences with these programs and also shared their successes, concerns and frustrations candidly with the group. A brief Q&A session followed.

In closing Mervin Wiseman, Chairman of the CAHRC Board of Directors, thanked all participants and indicated that “through this type of interaction we learn firsthand about the workforce needs of employers and can gain a clearer understanding of the skills required of both employers and workers in today’s farming operations”.

Farm Tours

The following day, Forum participants took part in tours of Eric C. Robinson’s potato farm and Mid Isle Farms potato packaging plant.  CAHRC wishes to acknowledge John Jamieson (PEI Federation of Agriculture) for his assistance in organizing these activities.

Active participation of CAHRC Board Members and Forum delegates is greatly appreciated and their valuable feedback on the program topics and speakers will assist CAHRC in planning next year’s annual forum.