b'Schrumm agrees a long-term strategy needs to be put in place to attract young people to the industry. We need to get away from agricultural stereotypes.Modern agriculture is vastly different than the style practiced when the harvest trains came west. Anyone working in agriculture today needs to crunch numbers, according to Schrumm, and that person needs to generate spread sheets to satisfy inspectors who are tracking food from seed to bread. Computer literacy is needed to operate high-tech equipment to manage GPS, precision application, and to manage storage systems to ensure temperature and moisture are maintained.Hauer believes that agriculture, as always, will adapt, and will determine how to attract employees and will support outside training as needed. Agricultural producers are extremely innovative, she says. Adaptation will continue.However, will the industry adapt quickly enough and be supported by colleges and universities to reduce the predicted labour shortage to a news headline and not a prolonged problem? Steele is concerned the lack of skilled labour for agriculture will become chronic.My kids are approaching their college or university years and there are no Canadian universities where they can learn about soils, plants, biology and business along with the basics of GIS, remote sensing and computer science in an agriculture program to prepare for the future, he says. Imagine if dentistry or medical students didnt have access to the new tools and procedures used in their fields?Banack encourages growers to visit the CAHRC website to learn how to manage the labour issue. We have to recognize there are changes happening and get involved now. The Alberta Federation of Agriculture is involved in labour laws, compensation packages and workers compensation. If we want to attract people, we have to provide safe workplaces. He adds the CAHRC information can be used by colleges, universities and governments, not just farmers, to minimize labour shortages. Banack suggests a five-year plan could be developed and then acted on.Schrumm agrees. He believes as farmers continue to evolve into agricultural business people, rather than sticking with the Markert Seeds Ltd. old stereotype of a traditional family farm, potential employees will begin to see agriculture as a technologically challenging career path. But growers will have to pay to get the best people CDC Austenson BarleyAAC Foray VB Wheatand keep them, which could require, as Banack did, becoming CDC Copeland BarleyCDC Precision Duruma human resources manager along with being the technology AAC Synergy BarleyAAC Chrome Peas *manager, the chief financial officer, and the equipment AAC Awesome VB WheatCDC Inca Peasmechanic. AAC Connery WheatCDC Meadow PeasIn reality, farm operations and their managers will continue to be what they have always beenmulti-dimensional CDC Landmark VB WheatCDC Dorado Flaxbusinessesbut more emphasis will be placed on training RedNet Wheat * AC Morgan Oatsemployees or recruiting agriculture program graduates and then AAC Viewfield Wheat*DENOTES NEW VARIETY paying them fairly in order to keep them on the farm.Ron & Lee MarkertRosalie I. TennisonBox 1150Vulcan, AlbertaT0L 2B0403-485-6708www.markertseeds.cominfo@markertseeds.com34seed.ab.ca'