NutriFair focuses on the young - how do we get more people into the profession?

The meeting with creditors and banks can be terrifying for young farmers – you may have to cough up 100 million. up before they turn their eyes your way. Several young farmers take part on stage at NutriFair and talk about their own path into the industry.

At the agricultural school in Grindsted, they experience a steady influx of students who are passionate about the profession. At the same time, there are enough jobs for twice as many. So what needs to happen before more people dare to take the leap?

Education consultant at Grindsted Landbrugsskole Kasper Kvist Jacobsen comes with an offer for:

"We do everything we can to get students from schools and post-secondary schools to see the agricultural school. We would like to help tell the good story and show the versatility of the education. On the very large scale, we must push for the societal view, so that every time agriculture is talked about, the bad stories are no longer weighted the most, but instead that agriculture is a bigger part of the future," he says.

Meet Kasper Kvist and Jonas Broholm together with "co-fluencer" Bianca Eisenhart in a conversation on stage for a talk about being young in agriculture. The conversation is facilitated by the hosts from the Landbrugpodcast Anders Nøhr Lau and Mads Krabbe Hansen.

The dream of being independent

Jonas Broholm, 31, became an independent farmer almost three years ago. Both he and his brother are independent farmers. His brother first established himself in a company with a partner by renting a property and buying a herd, and since then they have bought a property each, but where they own no land.

Jonas Broholm himself has taken over the paternal farm.

"I think it is really important that young farmers are aware that there are many ways to become an independent farmer. We often end up in a situation where it is a question of solvency and with demands from creditors that are difficult to meet. It worked out in our situation, but it's not like that for everyone, and I think that's problematic," he says and continues:

"We could provide a sum of assets worth around 50 million, but in some places the farms are twice as large, and then it can be a much more difficult situation," says the young farmer.

Retention and recruitment

Both the education consultant and the self-employed farmer agree that the job as a farmer requires different conditions. The business suddenly has competitors from other industries who can entice with better conditions – both for employees and business owners.

"We find that when the students switch to being skilled, there is a drop-out. This is especially the case in plant breeding and machine station work. Weekend, Sunday and bank holiday work is not very compatible with a busy family life," says Kasper Kvist Jacobsen.

There is a solution to that, he believes. But it makes demands on the business owner.

"Good management is really important here. The employees must know their work schedule, and even smaller companies must be run like 'big business' - that means two-shift shifts in the high season and shift schedules that extend three months into the future."

Like a family

Jonas Brohold recognizes the problem. He has two full-time employees, a flexible worker and a youth worker.

"We hold MUS talks and annually set aside time for APV, and even if we only have four people at an APV, it gives us something constructive that we can use, and it gives us an opportunity to sit together and discuss things through."

There must also be a strong attachment to the workplace. This, he believes, is essential to retain employees. And even small businesses have something to offer here:

"It is a small workplace, so one strength towards the employees is that our home is open, we drink morning coffee in our home, we have a three-year-old daughter whom they know - we are a team, and that is together with the whole the family. Being together in that way is from a time that is dwindling - but we are a small workplace, so therefore we can include those values in it.”