Learn from CASS

Gary Sliworsky
Ag. Rep.

Successful farm business managers have always recognized the need for continuous learning to adapt new production and business practices and prosper in an ever changing marketplace. To help producers respond, the Canadian Agricultural Skills Service (CASS) is available to assist qualifying producers and their spouses develop the skills and knowledge they are looking for to increase their farm profitability and net family income. CASS is designed to help farm families acquire skills and training for the road ahead.
CASS provides qualified applicants with no-cost access to a professional advisor who will meet with you and focus on understanding your existing skills, your plans and goals, and provide you with a clear path on how to achieve them.
Depending on their net family income, participants may also receive financial assistance to complete their training activities. Financial benefits range from $8,000 - $16,000 for qualified participants, depending on their averaged net family income and other eligibility requirements. For example, a farmer and his spouse who have an average net family income over the past 3 years of up to $35,000 can be eligible for up to $16,000 in training costs each for both the producer and his spouse.
CASS also contains special provisions to assist beginning farmers, and their spouses, develop the skills and knowledge to establish or become part of a commercial farm business.
Farm families can use the program to increase their on-farm skills in areas such as business management, marketing, human resources management, and developing new production opportunities. Farmers and their spouses can also use the program to develop off-farm or supplemental income options. CASS was developed to give farmers a choice about their future.
CASS is a Renewal program under the federal-provincial-territorial Agricultural Policy Framework. The Colleges of Ontario Network for Education and Training (CON*NECT) delivers CASS in Ontario, in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
You can get more information about the program visiting the website at www.ontario.ca/cass