Intended for rural youth between the ages of 18 and 30, the program has a major partner in Junior Farmers of Ontario. Support is also provided by more than 30 participating organizations such as Dairy Farmers of Ontario, AgCare, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, Ontario Wheat Producers' Marketing Board and Ontario Egg Producers. There is still a gap in leadership from an age standpoint. This is a really good program for meeting people and gaining experience. Intern Greg Shantz, a U of G graduate working for John Deere Ltd., says the internship is successfully breaking down barriers between young and old.
Boards participating in the program are appreciative of the benefits.
Now that the pilot program is nearly completed, immediate goals include finishing a course manual and evaluating the program's learning objectives and effectiveness. And the program is already gearing up for next year's new interns.