Farm Credit Canada (FCC) will be hosting a series of events to add fuel to the enthusiasm and passion for agriculture among young people.

Ignite, the FCC Young Farmer Summit, is a series of five free events across Canada aimed at attracting and engaging the next generation of farmers, as well as food manufacturers and retailers. Each event will inspire possibilities, impart knowledge and create connections among people who share a common love for the industry.

Producers and agriculture professionals under age 40, college and university agriculture program students and alumni are invited to hear from outstanding speakers, who will inspire, inform and introduce new ways of thinking about agriculture.

“From production to processing and retail, Canada’s agriculture industry needs the ideas, passion and energy of our young people,” said Michael Hoffort, FCC president and CEO. “The future of Canadian agriculture depends on attracting the next generation of young, bright entrepreneurs to careers throughout the industry, as well as helping those already in the industry realize their dreams.”

In the coming months, FCC Ignite will feature presentations from Tom Deans, New York Times best-selling author, Martin Latulippe, social entrepreneur and award-winning, philanthropist, and best-selling leadership author and Graham Sherman, co-owner of Tool Shed Brewing Company, just to name a few.

Over the next 20 years, Canadians will have one trillion dollars passed on to them as inheritance. Award-winning speaker and Globe and Mail bestselling author Dr. Tom Deans will explain how this unprecedented wealth transfer will transform lives, culture, and Canada itself. Deans will participate in all Ignite events.

The FCC Ignite events, presented in English, will take place in Kitchener, Ont. (November 22), Edmonton, Alta. (January 16), Winnipeg, Man. (February 7) and Truro, N.S. (February 9-10). Another FCC Ignite event, presented in French, will take place in Saint-Hyacinthe, Que. (April 4).

FCC Ignite events complement seven FCC Forums, two FCC Ag Outlooks and 65 Ag Knowledge Exchange sessions that are taking place across the country this fall and winter. Participants can register online at www.fcc.ca/events or by calling 1-888-332-3301. People are encouraged to sign up early to reserve their spot as these events fill up quickly.

FCC is Canada’s leading agriculture lender, with a healthy loan portfolio of more than $31 billion. Our employees are dedicated to the future of Canadian agriculture and its role in feeding an ever-growing world. We provide flexible, competitively priced financing, management software, information and knowledge specifically designed for the agriculture and agri-food industry. Our profits are reinvested back into agriculture and the communities where our customers and employees live and work. Visit fcc.ca or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and on Twitter @FCCagriculture.

For more information, photos or interviews, contact:

Éva Larouche (bilingual)
Corporate Communication
Farm Credit Canada
1-888-780-6647
eva.larouche@fcc.ca