A number of years ago the Department of Agriculture did one thing that was of significant benefit to us: they allowed us to utilize some of our funding for administration.
One of the things we're finding, Pierre, is that these days when we talk to corporate sponsors, they want to go into project funding. But they don't realize that you've got to provide support for the people who actually deliver the programs. So it's been quite beneficial for us to actually have a full-time staff in Ottawa.
One thing that I do believe...and I don't know how the heck you can do it from this committee, but there's quite a disparity across the country with the support that some provinces provide to the 4-H program in terms of providing staff. How the heck are you going to be able to deliver new programs into new areas if you've only got one staff? We've got provincial programs in New Brunswick with one staff member; in Quebec, one staff member; and in British Columbia, two staff members. Somehow there has to be some sort of arm-twisting, if that's possible, with provincial colleagues in the departments of agriculture.
What has the program allowed us to do in terms of the additional funding, though? It's allowed us to introduce new programs that relate directly to production. For example, I spoke about the farm mentorship program. When Ashley was talking about sharing success stories, if you talk about Canada's Outstanding Young Farmers program, they are the success stories and they have very compelling examples of how, in fact, you can succeed. So we're able to offer that program.
One program we're going to be introducing through our funding is not directly related to production, so perhaps not pertinent to this committee, but it is one where we're looking at putting 4-H members in Canadian embassies and consulates around the world for internship programs. The whole idea is for them to learn about Canadian exports so that when they come back, and a lot of them are going to come back as young farmers, they know what's out there. That's allowed us to expand some of our programs specifically directed to the business development objectives.
If we had further money, Mr. Lemieux, we could probably do more work, especially in urban centres.
I'm sure you have a number of questions, but one group that we spoke about was aboriginal 4-H. That's a really tough nut to crack, but we're trying to partner right now with the National Association of Friendship Centres--urban--to introduce 4-H to them so that they in fact have exposure to agriculture.
We're looking at partnering with an investment firm that has bought a whole pile of land in Saskatchewan and wants to turn it over to aboriginals for farming.