'A huge success': Pilot project helps address worker shortage on P.E.I. farms

Jan 15, 2018

A pilot project connecting Prince Edward Islanders in need of jobs with work on farms has had an added bonus.

The Harvest and Prosper Project ended in December, but some of the participants have been offered full-time employment this winter, helping fill a void on P.E.I. farms.

"The project exceeded our expectations," said Roxanne Carter-Thompson, executive director of The Adventure Group, one of the partners in the pilot program.

"This was a huge need for them, they have been crying for employees."

Change their life

The Harvest and Prosper project helped newcomers, people on social assistance or disability support, to find short-term work in the agriculture industry without affecting any benefits they were receiving.

The P.E.I. government, the P.E.I. Association for Newcomers to Canada and the Agriculture Sector Council also supported the program.

Of 32 participants in the program, more than a dozen landed full-time jobs after the pilot ended.

"So that's a really high number, we're really happy with that number," Carter-Thompson said.

"What it means for them is it's going to hopefully change their life, now that they're on a track of full-time employment and they can provide for their families."

Carter-Thompson said they started the pilot project with 10 employers, all of whom stayed with the program to the end and gave feedback and recommendations.

"We are hoping to see that this project will move forward but we don't have the commitment at this time," Carter-Thompson said.

"But the partners are very happy about the success of this initiative."

Source : CBC

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

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If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

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What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.