Future farmers: a coming of age

Last Monday, Judy Stuart dropped by to collect some Agri Handbooks for her Future Farmers Foundation. It is interesting that one of the most successful initiatives in agriculture comes from a person who was denied the opportunity to study agriculture as a career (women weren't accepted at agricultural colleges back then). Judy was accompanied by Noku Mweli, who is being groomed to take over.

The project looks to qualify farm managers capable of running commercial operations (and hopefully own their own farm one day). Some of the candidates have no qualifications at all and are armed solely by a passion to farm.

There is no need to recruit as Future Farmers receives many calls from young people looking for help. Candidates are placed on commercial farms, where work expected of them includes menial tasks like cleaning calf pens and washing dairies. Theory courses (part time study) are sourced, and after two years in which time the candidates have proved themselves, opportunities for overseas internships are sought. All the costs are provisionally paid for, and once they are earning candidates pay back this sum (the money is then used to fund the next batch of candidates).

You can imagine the skills these candidates have at the end of this time, not least the technical know-how and communicative skills! Not surprisingly, almost all find management positions on their return. Many continue to study part-time courses, usually business or financial ones.

For farm owners, at the very least, having a youngster on the farm means an extra pair of hands to help. Indeed, included in some of the Future Farmers stories are incidents where farmers take a much needed holiday because the interns are proving themselves to be so capable! But it goes further. Giving a young person (who has been screened) the opportunity to learn the ropes on your farm is also an investment in the future -- theirs and the country's.

Today is 27 April, a public holiday in South Africa remembering the first day, 21 years ago, that all citizens in this country took part in democratic elections for the first time. Like any coming-of-age, there are numerous possibilities and potentials, but none go anywhere good if we have not attended to something as basic as our food security.

If you are able to offer an internship on your farm and would like to know more, visit the website or drop an email to redcow [at] telkomsa.net.