The Future's Next Generation
In one century, the average size of Canadian farms has tripled * . For its part, over the last 75 years, the number of farms in Quebec has declined by approximately 90%. And since in 2020, the price of farmland increased by an average of 7.3% and up to 32.4% in Estrie, no need to draw a picture to understand that new farmers are going through difficult times.
Never mind, don't count on Julie Bissonnette to back down. On the contrary. The young president of the Fédération de la relève agricole du Québec ( FRAQ ) has energy to spare. And we're not talking about the energy of despair.
Yes, land prices are skyrocketing. It's also true that machinery is expensive. And there's no denying that it's difficult for new farmers to buy enough production quotas to be competitive in the market. But the 28-year-old woman, who was raised on a dairy farm in Verchères, is turning over every stone in her field of expertise to help young people aged 16 to 39 who are passionate about agriculture rise to the challenge. There are 2,000 of them within the FRAQ.
Since the age of 17, Julie, who obtained a diploma in ITA's Agricultural Business Management and Technology program is interested in the future of the next generation. At first, she mainly enjoyed developing contacts for social activities, but she quickly became hooked. In her early twenties, she became president at the regional, then provincial, level. She was all the more enthusiastic about this when she met Olivier Fleury, who had started a dairy farm shortly before they joined forces. Now based in L'Avenir, the couple cares for 45 dairy cows. And Julie is immersed in a whirlwind of political representation at the national level.
" Agricultural schools are full. The next generation is there, but they're having trouble getting established. We're looking for ways to make it easier to buy land. We want to improve existing programs so more young people can benefit from them. There's no shortage of demands. For example, we're taking steps to ensure that the transfer of family farms is as tax-efficient as it is for unrelated farmers. We're also demanding that there be no longer any difference between full-time and part-time farmers when it comes to the establishment bonus."
The issues identified in each of the 13 regions represented by the FRAQ are channeled up the chain to the provincial or national level, where representations are developed. Julie Bissonnette says it's often the government itself that comes to consult them. But the federation doesn't wait for a knock on its door to provide a clear picture of the realities on the ground and submit its demands.
MAPAQ, MEES, MELCC, SADC, FADQ, UPA, AJRQ, FIRA—you name it! All these wonderful people and many other organizations are called upon to negotiate with the movement that looks after the interests of the next generation. Why would Julie stop there? She's also involved at the international level. In recent years, she has participated in two summits in France and Germany. Every two or three months, she shares with groups from about fifteen countries the problems and solutions that ultimately concern all the new farmers in the world. Without a doubt, Julie Bissonnette embodies the next generation of... L'Avenir and elsewhere!
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