Farmers Finding Success in Recruiting Workers from Foreign Countries

Oct 25, 2021

A professional speaker and trainer with tWorks says farmers who have encountered challenges finding local sources of labor are finding success in recruiting workers from foreign countries. "50 shades of beige" will be among the topics discussed as part of Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2021 which will be held virtually via Zoom November 16 and 17.

Tina Varughese, a professional speaker and trainer with tWorks, says farmers are increasing relying on workers from foreign countries, with the top source countries being Mexico, the Philippines, the UK, Ireland and the Ukraine.

Clip-Tina Varughese-tWorks:

I think generationally there's a different face to who's owning those farms. It used to be family run farms that would be handed down to children. Some of the kids now are not necessarily interested in taking over those farms to keep them going and, because of growth, farms are starting to outsource labor to foreign workers.

I have also heard that sometimes it's difficult to find local labor to work in such difficult jobs and yet they find foreign workers to be here by choice, they want to be working, highly skilled and very easy to train in the industry, so those are all positives.

I think as well the industry has changed quite a bit in terms of technological advances in the industry. A lot of farmers are now using very high-tech pieces of equipment, so there's been a lot of change within the industry that is driving a lot of these factors.

Source : Farmscape

Video: FLEECED! Sheep Shearer Hands Over Clippers!

It's sheep shearing day at Ewetopia Farms! ?? Our Dorset lambs and ewes are getting fleeced — and for the first time, our shearer hands over his clippers to a beginner. We finish shearing the last of our adult ewes and this year’s Dorset ewe lambs.

From moving the sheep between barns, loading them into chutes, and watching the wool come off, this is always one of the most satisfying days on the farm. But this video has a twist — we welcomed a new helper, Gian, who’s not only lending a hand but also learning how to shear! With guidance from our experienced shearer, he got a crash course in sheep shearing and even tried his hand at shearing a couple of lambs himself.

You’ll see firsthand how both teacher and student handled this unique challenge. Shearing is more than just removing wool — it’s about sheep health, comfort, and giving us a closer look at the flock. It’s always amazing to see the transformation from woolly sheep to freshly shorn ewes and lambs.