“That’s how I first got involved,” Ayre stated. “I thought it was such a unique opportunity, I tried to get a little more active.”
Fellow Minto farmer Bill Campbell got him to come to district meetings, and he eventually served on the district board. When Campbell became president of KAP in 2019, Ayre became a district representative at board meetings. In early February, when Boissevain farmer Mitch Janssens stepped down as second vice president of the KAP board, Ayre stepped up to the plate.
While this was happening, Ayre got involved in the Manitoba Young Farmer program within the organization. He said they were looking for someone to help take it over, and he is presently the co-chair of the program. He felt it was important to be active in it because of the importance of young people in farming in Manitoba and their issues.
“We’re trying to get it up and going. Manitoba has the highest percentage of young farmers in the country. Every issue in farming, inputs, land transfer, farm succession, any topic you can talk about, young farmers are involved.”
Ayre said the group has gone through a bit of restructuring, with a lot of discussion of what defines young farmers and what they want to get out of the organization. Overall, their mission is to “unite young farmers by supporting and promoting their growth and by providing learning, networking and advocacy opportunities.” It is open to any person who is under 40 and either farming full time or working towards that. Ayre said they would work with KAP to give input on policy recommendations and anything to do with younger farmers with the parent organization.
Their first annual conference is set for March 5 in Winnipeg. The all-day event features many guest speakers on topics such as improving on-farm efficiencies through analytics, the elimination of waste and regenerative agriculture. Ayre said there are many issues for young farmers that need to be discussed.
“There is a need for access to capital,” he explained, “succession planning. There is a need to understand policy too, as policy impacts younger farmers a lot.”
He said as this is the first conference of its kind, he is unsure how many people will attend. Overall, however, the group needs to get interested parties together, to define themselves, and get to know who they are.
“Personally, I would like to see more involvement, more policy focus, and to give more opportunities for young farmers to grow and into agriculture.”
Recently, Ayre got involved in a new group that is still finding its legs. Ayre was one of more than 80 young people who applied to be involved in the Youth Advisory Council on climate. He was among the nine chosen for the task. He feels it is very important for members of the agriculture industry to be involved in environmental issues.
“As farmers, we can do everything right,” he explained. “We can give our crops the right nutrients, the best fertilizer, use the best genetics. But the one thing we cannot control is the weather or climate. After last harvest, a lot of people are in a bind. Our weather is shifting and it is the biggest factor in our industry.”
“I like to be involved. As someone who grew up on the land, I know that farmers love the land, we are the stewards of the land. We know if we do not treat it right, it will not be there.”
Ayre said climate is an issue youth are very passionate about and he felt it was important to have someone with agricultural experience involved.
“I want to bring a different voice, that ag voice, to make sure it was at the table,” Ayre said.
He said they do not have a full mandate yet, but will be meeting fairly soon. They will report to the Expert Advisory Council and work with Conservation and Climate Minister Sarah Guillemarde. Ayre said through developments like shelterbelts and cover crops, agriculture could be part of climate solutions, not problems.
Now, of course, he will be taking a new role with KAP. He is familiar with the board table and looks forward to working with Campbell and First Vice President Jill Verwey. Although all of his committees make it look like he might not have too much time for farming, Ayre replied that as KAP is a farm organization, they tend not to meet during times important to the agricultural community. It is another challenge and another contribution.
“I am definitely excited with my new role. Everyone on the executive and the staff are the best. I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”
by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff