Supporting New Brunswick Farms Through the Shared Workforce Program: Bates Landing

WorkingNB is proud to partner with the Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries along with the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick to strengthen the province’s agriculture sector through the Shared Workforce Program (SWP). This innovative program connects employers and job seekers in agriculture, ensuring farms have the support they need during peak seasons.

Last summer, Bates Landing, located in Long Point, NB, experienced firsthand the benefits of the SWP. Starting with four workers in June, they added another four at the end of July and four more in August, bringing their total to 12 workers through the program.

What stood out most to Bates Landing was the flexibility and responsiveness of the SWP. Farm owners Bob and Janice emphasized how having extra hands at the right time made a significant difference during their busiest months.

“The program was incredibly flexible. We didn’t have to commit to workers for the entire season, we could bring people in for short-term or long-term as needed. For tasks like weeding or maintaining a strawberry field, it was easy to get a few extra hands when we needed them.” – Janice

Janice also highlighted how unique this program is compared to traditional hiring options:

“Honestly, this is the best program the province has ever introduced for agriculture. You can’t just call around locally and find four or five people for a couple of weeks to weed strawberries. That’s simply not possible, but SWP makes it happen.”

Bob added:

“It’s been fantastic because we were able to get the work done. Every year is different, you can’t predict if you’ll need 10 workers next season. But if something goes wrong, like herbicide issues or bad weather, and we fall behind, this program gives us the flexibility to catch up.”

The Shared Workforce Program is helping farms thrive by providing timely labor solutions and supporting job seekers in finding meaningful work in agriculture.

Strengthen New Brunswick’s agriculture sector! Whether you’re hiring or job hunting, register now: Jobs - AgriNB