Ag in the Classroom connects kids to farmers

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This article was published 01/10/2021 (1785 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Agriculture in the Classroom – Manitoba, a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to teaching students about agriculture, is going virtual this year with the introduction of livestreamed virtual farm tours.

“To make farms more accessible to students, we are introducing the Follow the Farmers virtual farm tour program,” said AITC executive director Sue Clayton.

“We are continually finding new ways we can help teachers and students have engaged conversations about agriculture and we feel the virtual tour will give students a unique inside look into Manitoba farms.”

During the tour, students will be able to talk directly with host farmers during a live, question-and-answer webinar.

“Teachers will also get activities that will extend the learning about the journey of food production from farm to fork,” Clayton said. “In this first year, we will be touring a dairy farm, hog farm and sheep farm.”

While the virtual tours are geared to students in Grades 3 to 6, AITC has programming available for students from K-12.

“Agriculture in the Classroom was started in 1988 by key people in the ag industry who saw a major disconnect between kids and where their food came from,” Clayton said.

“Since then, we have developed in-person and virtual programs, resources and activities such as our school indoor gardening program, career programming, Farm to Plate recipes, the Food Gratitude Project and Agriculture Scavenger Hunt to help students value and understand where their food comes from.”

For more information on Agriculture in the Classroom, or if you are a teacher and want to register for the Follow the Farmers program, or any other, visit aitc.mb.ca or follow them on social media at @aitcmb.

Carolyne Braid is a community correspondent for Crescentwood. You can reach her at carolyne.braid@gmail.com