Saskatoon, SK - March 1, 2022 – Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month (CALM) is back this March, bringing agriculture and food learning experiences to students across Canada. The celebrated flagship event from Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) organizations offers hands-on activities and programs for students that help them learn about, understand, and appreciate Saskatchewan’s agriculture and food story.
Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) is excited to premiere The Great Canadian Farm Tour, a month-long, virtual field trip for educators and students to connect with real farmers across Canada and learn about the diversity of commodities they produce. This eleven-stop tour features a range of farms – from dairy to aquaculture to maple syrup – and is integrated with interactive learning opportunities and in-classroom, curriculum-linked resources.
“Over the last 11 years, CALM has become a staple learning experience in classrooms across Canada and continues to encourage curiosity, connection and a life-long learning about agriculture and food,” says Johanne Ross, Executive Director of AITC-C. “Collectively, AITC-C and all ten of our provincial members work to provide interesting and engaging experiences to foster inspiration and motivation for students to discover their role in the agri-food system.”
In addition to co-hosting The Great Canadian Farm Tour, Agriculture in the Classroom Saskatchewan (AITC-SK) is coordinating classroom visits from volunteer farmers and agriculture industry professionals. Students will have the opportunity to ask their most curious questions about food and agriculture, while building a personal connection with someone involved in producing their food.
“Students have questions, they want to know more about where food comes from!” says Sara Shymko, Executive Director of AITC-SK. “We could not be more pleased with the many volunteers across the province who are dedicating time to answering student questions and sharing their agriculture stories in the classroom - a truly memorable experience for these students."
Each year, AITC-SK creates a new educational resource for CALM that highlights different aspects of agriculture for teachers to use in their classrooms. This year's resource, Connections in Agriculture, encourages students to explore how agriculture is interconnected and the many people working in diverse careers that help get food from farms to our plates. Through an engaging, hands-on activity students will begin to understand and recognize the variety and importance of people involved in producing food.
CALM would not be possible without the generous support of Cargill and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
