The New Faces of Ag: Young Farmers Making a Difference
By Stephanie Metzinger T he United States is currently undergoing an extreme societal shift, as Baby Boomers (U.S. adults born 1946 to 1964) continue to retire and Millennials (born 1981 to 1996) have now become the largest generation in the labor force. According to the Pew Research Center, in the third quarter of 2020, about 28.6 million Baby Boomers reported that they were out of the labor force due to retirement. This is 3.2 million more Boomers than the 25.4 million who were retired in the same quarter of 2019. As the pace of retirement for Baby Boomers continues to accelerate, companies need a strong workforce plan for replacing exiting workers. Western Growers (WG) is dedicated to helping member farmers cultivate the next generation of agricultural leaders to ensure a smooth transition. Ten years ago, WG rolled out the first program in a string of strategic initiatives geared toward arming the future workforce with the skills and knowledge needed to become influential leaders in the specialty crop industry. The Future Volunteer Leaders Program launched with a mission to identify and prepare the next generation of WG members for positions of leadership within the Western fresh produce industry. Over the course of two years, participants of the program engage in a series of hands-on activities that allow them to become well versed in federal, state and local issues affecting agriculture as well as burgeoning industry opportunities such as agtech development. The Future Volunteer Leaders Program inaugurated its sixth class in February 2020, and for the first time in program history, it welcomed a young leader from Colorado. Since the program’s inception, seven alumni have graduated into a seat
% of the U.S. Labor Force
5% Post-Millennials (born 1997 and later)
2% Silent/Greatest (born 1945 or earlier)
25% Boomers (born 1946 – 1964)
35% Millennials (born 1981 – 1996)
33% Gen Xers (born 1965 – 1980)
*source: Pew Research Center; data as of 2017
Alex Muller during the WG DC Board Meeting in 2019 with then Arizona Senator Martha McSally
8
MARCH | APRIL 2 021
Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online