Michael Richards is looking for a whole lot more future farmers to join him in raising sheep in Ontario. “We as producers are only meeting 30 to 35 per cent of the demand. So, Ontario sheep farmers’ new initiative is we want to meet at least 50 per cent of the demand. We want to grow our industry to 50 per cent of the demand by 2040,” said Richards. Richards was one of the sheep farmers in Clinton trying to educate nearly 50 students taking the specialist high skills major in agriculture about the advantages of an industry very few Ontarians, and very few farmers, are aware of. “I’ve come from a cattle family, and I find that sheep are cheaper and easier to manage. I can do a lot of it myself, with minimal effort from outside help,” said the Hamilton area sheep producer. While Huron and Perth counties have a large rural component, most farms are highly specialized, raising one kind of animal or a handful of crops. The specialist high skills major course in agriculture is designed to expand those potential agri-food horizons. “Students have taken some certifications surrounding the agriculture industry and then have an opportunity to experience a wide variety of different commodity groups. We actually have a group from Goderich that are part of the hospitality and tourism course, so they’re more focused on the culinary aspect of it. So, they’re looking forward to the session with the chef in the kitchen where they’ll get to prepare a high-end meal using the lamb,” explained Jessica Chateauvert, pathways coordinator with the Avon Maitland District School Board. Many of the out of class agricultural sessions, including ones with horses and beef cattle, at the REACH Centre in Clinton. “We want to bridge that gap that’s being created by biosecurity issues where kids aren’t really able to get up and be that close to animals anymore and understand their personality and their traits. We feel like, as a bridge to getting in the industry, if they don’t understand that connection to animals, it’s probably not as attractive of an industry,” said Matt Lee, general manager of REACH (Regional Equine and Agriculture Centre of Huron County). Richards hopes he can entice one or two of these future farmers to give a sheep a shot, because the sky is the limit for an industry that isn’t coming close to meeting the market demand. “With only meeting 30 per cent of the demand, we’re able to keep that ceiling as an endless ceiling of growth for sheep farmers in Ontario,” said Richards.
