What’s next for THE EXCHANGE? Applications for Cohort 2 Now Open
Saskatoon, Canada – The National Farmers Union (NFU) invites farmers to apply for Cohort 2 of THE EXCHANGE– a national cohort-centered professional development program aiming to maximize the long-term success of equity-deserving* farmers in Canadian agriculture. This program centralizes information sourced from various organizations and offers support nationally for cohorts of 20 farmers to access training, grants, mentorship, and networking.
In October 2024, THE EXCHANGE welcomed its first cohort of 20 equity-deserving farmers, kicking off a dynamic year-long program for co-creation, professional development and knowledge exchange that supports career advancement in agriculture. Cohort 1 has made strides through skill-building workshops, resource sharing and business development discussions online and in-person. Highlights so far included a week-long national gathering in Saskatchewan that began with a 2-day retreat where members connected with each other and participated in expert-led workshops on flax production, business development, farm future visioning, and policy work, followed by 3-days of learning at the National Convention.
“What a pleasure it was to have the first group of farmers attend the NFU Convention in November! They added another dimension of positive energy and engagement to the proceedings.” says NFU President Jennifer Pfenning. “As this cohort moves forward we eagerly look forward to welcoming the next one.”
This program is supported by the Government of Canada through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriDiversity Program, an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
Applications for Cohort 2 are now open until February 28, 2025 at 12am EST. For more information visit www.nfu.ca/theexchange/apply/.
*Equity-deserving farmers include, but are not limited to, Indigenous farmers; Black and other racialized farmers; women farmers; youth farmers; 2SLGBTQI+ farmers, farmers with disabilities; and farmers in Official Language Minority Communities; and all farmworkers in these same groups.
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