Maine can harvest more benefits from youth in agriculture
Orono, Maine — When Maine’s youth succeed in agriculture, everyone benefits. Assistant Extension Professor Andrew Hudacs, who focuses on 4-H Teen Leadership and Workforce Development, recently wrote an op-ed that appeared in the Bangor Daily News in which he described how supporting youth in self-employed farm ventures can build workplace skills, strengthen local food systems, and connect young people more deeply to their communities.
“Youth who are interested in self-employed farming practices can make money by producing eggs or maple syrup, growing flowers or vegetables, and raising animals for meat or bees for honey. … This type of self-employment is especially valuable for rural youth, whose access to job opportunities is more limited, due to fewer local businesses and more limited transportation. … Even if youth aren’t interested in an agriculture-based career, self-employment for a few months or years can develop career-ready skills and practices like productivity, goal setting, and time management. … Positive youth development organizations, such as Maine 4-H and FFA, have low-cost or free programs that teach kids how to safely grow and produce commercial-grade quality food. … Additionally, many programs have mentors to guide youth through business planning, so they learn successful pathways for making money, managing finances, and reducing risk.”
University of Maine Cooperative Extension
As a trusted resource for over 100 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land and sea grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county. UMaine Extension seeks to build thriving communities and grow the food-based economy, focusing on aspects from production and processing to nutrition, food safety and food security. Extension also conducts the most successful out-of-school youth educational program in Maine through 4-H which offers hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture and civic engagement and creates a positive environment where participants are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles.