Youth agriculture education will be getting a big boost in Alberta.
Joint funding by the governments of Alberta and Canada will see $731,162.27 invested in 4-H Alberta over five years, with the funds going toward the organization's youth agriculture programs.
4-H Alberta is an organization that has promoted youth leadership development through "heart, head, hands and health" with clubs across the province since 1917.
"4-H Alberta has a long, proud legacy of teaching kids skills they’ll use throughout their entire lives, from livestock care to public speaking and career development," said provincial Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson.
"We are proud to support this great organization and help introduce even more youth to valuable 4-H programming.”
The stated aim of the funding is to help the organization further bridge the gap between urban and rural youth while developing safety and mental health programming.
The three programs being funded — the Intro to 4-H program, the Agriculture Safety and Mental Health Workshop and the Senior Spring Symposium — offer experience-based learning opportunities in agriculture for both urban and rural youth, demonstrate the connection between farm safety and mental health through programs such as equine therapy, and expand on mental health education for youth in agriculture while addressing the stigma associated with mental health challenges in farming communities, respectively.
"For more than 100 years, 4-H Alberta has been dedicated to empowering youth with skills and experiences that last a lifetime, deeply rooted in agriculture and community This new grant allows us to expand on that legacy – bridging urban and rural perspectives, sharing time-tested skills and inspiring the next generation of leaders in Alberta's agriculture sector," said Kurt Kinnear, CEO of 4-H Alberta.
The government funding announcement follows the provincial government's commitment in 2020 to an annual operating grant for 4-H Alberta of $1 million per year for 10 years.
The investment is part of the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, described by the Government of Alberta as a five-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector.
The nationwide investment includes $1 billion in federal programs and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially and territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.
Significant investments have also been announced for Alberta Beef Producers' on-farm food safety program Verified Beef Production Plus and the Alberta Invasive Species Council's "Rat on Rats" campaign.
