Tony Will, president, and chief executive officer, CF Industries Holdings, Inc., said:

“Julie’s strong track record as an information leader building progressive and innovative solutions will serve CF well in the years ahead. We look forward to her insight and guidance as we continue to grow our technology capabilities to support the CF team and better serve our customers.”

Prior to joining CF, Freigang was vice president, chief information officer at Franklin Electric. She also previously served in information technology leadership roles at Eaton. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Valparaiso University.

Source: CF Industries

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“It’s unfortunate that it sometimes takes an incident or close call to motivate producers to put in place farm safety measures,”

said Marcel Hacault, executive director of the Canadian Agriculture Safety Association (CASA), a non-profit organization formed in 1993 to respond to health and safety issues in agriculture.

“It’s even more unfortunate if they don’t take action to prevent incidents from happening again,” he said.

The survey, conducted from Feb. 10-21, found that seven in 10 producers (72 percent) have had an incident resulting in an injury or close call on their operation at some point in their lifetime, and a quarter (24 percent) of producers report having had one within the last year.

It also showed that producers who have had a safety incident on the farm are no more likely to access safety information or develop a safety plan than those who haven’t had an incident. However, a growing number of producers recognize their work is not done safely all of the time.

“Awareness is usually the first step toward taking preventative action,”

Hacault said.

“It’s not only obvious dangers that pose risk. There are often hidden hazards that can harm you, an employee or a family member.”

The survey showed only one in 10 producers (14 percent) surveyed indicated they have a written safety plan for their operation and 70 percent of those with plans felt it is effective in preventing injuries.

Hacault said a safety plan serves as an inventory of the various hazards that exist on the farm and sets out practices and procedures to prevent close calls or injuries from happening. It only takes one moment of distraction, fatigue, or complacency to change a person’s life forever.

Seeding and harvest are among the most dangerous times of the year since many producers are working long hours and are racing against the clock to get the job done.

“Producers have to remember that the most valuable asset on any farm is the people who do the work,”

Hacault said.

“By taking care of ourselves and those around us, we are contributing to our long-term success in both business and life.”

Producers can access safety information or training from a variety of organizations, including industry associations, provincial agriculture safety associations, agriculture suppliers, government, and non-profit agencies, such as CASA, Red Cross, and St. John Ambulance.

FCC is a long-time supporter of CASA and its safety awareness initiatives, including Canadian Agricultural Safety Week. It is also a proud supporter of other farm safety programs, such as the Back to Ag Program that supports the cost of adaptive technology for farmers that have experienced a traumatic injury.

A total of 1,239 FCC Vision panelists involved in agriculture production from across Canada participated in the study. With a 78 percent response rate, the margin of error for this survey is +/- three percent at a standard 95 percent confidence level.

Source: Farm Credit Canada

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The new B.C. Farm, Fish and Food Job Connector will showcase current job vacancies throughout the province, including those for crop and seafood harvesters, food processing and farm workers, agrologists, large machinery operators and marketing specialists. The site also has sector-specific information and guidance to support businesses as they adapt their recruitment and human resource management in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Many British Columbians are passionate about buying local and are looking towards careers in the agricultural, seafood and food processing sectors. We are making it easier for employers and employees to connect so we can fill vacancies and get more British Columbians working to put fresh and local food on our tables. At the same time, we recognize the workforce challenges brought on by COVID-19 and are helping to address the need to establish a secure agricultural labour force so we can generate economic activity and maintain food security in our communities.”

said Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture.

The connector site will also provide information and context about the opportunities that exist within the different regions of B.C.’s agriculture, seafood and food processing businesses and will highlight the available jobs.

“Farmers in B.C. are in a tough spot because of COVID-19, and our need for labour is at the top of the list. I appreciate the B.C. government’s efforts in responding to those concerns through this website, which I’m hoping will introduce my farm and family to people looking to join our business and help us share our great tasting, healthy berries with British Columbians this season.”

said Jason Smith, owner of Fraser Berry Farms Ltd.

Parm Bains, owner, Westberry Farms, said,

“B.C. berry growers are facing a serious labour shortage this season due to COVID-19, and this website is a good idea to let people know we are hiring and looking for their help. The berry industry urgently needs seasonal workers interested in harvesting and packing jobs. Many farms also have longer-term positions available in field and crop management and quality control, and this site could connect us to those people.”

The site will connect to agriculture, food processing, aquaculture and marine fisheries jobs posted on Work BC, industry sites and the BC Food and Beverage websites. It will also be a centralized source to find information and tools provided by B.C.’s industry groups.

“Local labour has always been a critical part of British Columbia’s food system. Jobs in agriculture provide countless opportunities to grow your skills, expand your experiences and contribute to our sustainable food system. We appreciate the work that the Province is doing to help farmers and ranchers connect with those looking for employment opportunities during these changing times.”

said Rhonda Driediger, president, Western Agriculture Labour Initiative.

Quick Facts:

• Jobs are available in more than 30 communities in the Fraser Valley, Okanagan, Metro Vancouver
  and Vancouver Island, as well as in the Kootenays, Cariboo and northern B.C.
• There are close to 600 jobs posted on WorkBC in the agriculture, seafood and food and beverage sectors.
• B.C. farms, ranches, seafood and food processing companies generated a record $15 billion in revenue in 2018.

Source: Agricultural Manufacturer of Canada

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