Province and Ottawa partner to add funding for 4-H Alberta

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on November 13, 2024.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

The Government of Alberta is looking to help bridge the gap between urban and rural youth and show the possibilities of a future in agriculture with the help of 4-H Alberta.

In a press conference Tuesday, the province announced it would provide more than $731,000 over the next five years, in partnership with the federal government, to support three major programs offered by 4-H.

This funding will be in addition to the annual operating grant for 4-H Alberta of $1 million per year for 10 years, which was committed to in 2020.

The Intro to 4-H program, the Agriculture Safety and Mental Health Workshop and the Senior Spring Symposium have been selected to benefit from the funding.

“4-H has been supporting young people in agriculture for over a century,” said Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “Through this shared investment in 4-H Alberta, I’m so pleased to support their efforts to build connections between urban and rural kids, develop safety and mental health programming, and guide our agriculture sector into the future.”

“For over 100 years,” the province says, “4-H Alberta has been teaching the province’s youth valuable skills in agriculture and beyond, helping them learn hands-on skills, developing leadership and creating a sense of belonging.”

It is the hope that this new support will also help bolster safety and mental health programming.

The Intro to 4-H program offers experience-based learning opportunities that build connections between urban and rural youth and local farmers and ranchers, while the Agriculture Safety and Mental Health Workshop is a new program that incorporates farm safety and mental health through programs like equine therapy as a hands-on opportunity for rural and urban youth.

Meanwhile, the province says, Spring Senior Symposium will expand on mental health education for youth in agriculture and address the stigma associated with mental health challenges in farming communities.

The grant is funded through Sustainable CAP’s Resiliency and Public Trust initiative, which is a five-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments with the goal of strengthening competitiveness, innovation and resiliency in Canada’s agriculture, agri-food and agri-based products sector.

This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and $2.5 billion that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for program designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

“4-H Alberta has been dedicated to empowering youth with skills and experiences that last a lifetime, deeply rooted in agriculture and community,” said Kurt Kinnear, CEO of 4-H Alberta. “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.”

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