A Harvest Story walks students through a day in the life of a farmer at harvest time, providing a glimpse into the family farm and the beauty of reaping what is sown as farmers work to feed the world. The storybook helps deepen student understanding of agriculture and its importance in their lives.
The storybook was launched at the beginning of October to join in celebrating Agriculture Month in Saskatchewan. In just a few short weeks AITC-SK has received over 145 orders from teachers wanting to share the story with their students, reinforcing the importance of and need for more educational resources that share the story of agriculture and food in Saskatchewan. The first 50 orders also received a class set so that each student was given a book to take home and enjoy with their families.
“The teacher demand for A Harvest Story has been phenomenal,” says Sara Shymko, Executive Director of AITC-SK. “It has been one of AITC-SK's most successful resource launches. The book truly is a tribute to farmers acknowledging their dedication and hard work, and thanking them for feeding the world. There is no other storybook like it.”
A Harvest Story was beautifully written by Kendall Wicks and illustrated by Lesia Karalash, both Saskatchewan artists. The author, Kendall Wicks, a teacher from Cabri, Saskatchewan who also farms, was inspired to write the story by her son eleven years ago. The inspiration came from his frequent asks for a “combine story” and Wicks was unable to find a storybook that captured harvest on the prairies.
“I grew up on a grain farm” says Wicks, “and like many farming families I know that harvest is an incredibly special time where some of the best memories are made. My goal was to capture this unique and beautiful experience, and for every child who reads it to see themselves within it somewhere. As a teacher I strive to ensure my students are aware of the importance of agriculture and have used AITC resources throughout my career. I'm so grateful to now be a contributor to this organization through this book.”
In addition to the collaboration between AITC-SK, Wicks and Karalash, this storybook was brought to life with the support of contributions from many Rural Municipalities and individuals from the Saskatchewan agriculture community, who are listed within the book. A Harvest Story is free for teachers to access at www.aitc.sk.ca.
