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New agriculture education resources available for high school teachers

Apr 16, 2024 | 9:19 AM

Providing accurate, balanced and current information is an important way to promote agriculture education in Canadian classrooms.

Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) has partnered with CropLife Canada to develop three curriculum-linked resources for educators and students across the country.

Grade 10 and 11 students will be able to explore some of the realities of modern farming by seeing what it takes to successfully grow carrots, turnips and potatoes.

The resources draw on CropLife Canada’s Real Farm Lives documentary web series, which was created to show the work and lives of farm families across the country.

Season three features the McKenna family from Prince Edward Island, who grow high-quality food for their family and families across the country while leaving the land in better condition for the next generation.

AITC-C Executive Director Mathieu Rouleau said teachers play an instrumental role in shaping the future of the next generation by showing students the vital role agriculture plays in our lives.

“By fostering a deeper understanding of our agriculture and food system, we empower students to become informed citizens and stewards of our planet’s future,” Mathieu said

Resources like these help students build knowledge around key ideas such as food preparation, food waste and crop protection, according to Pierre Petelle, president and CEO, CropLife Canada.

“We know that fewer and fewer kids have a direct connection to the farm. Through Real Farm Lives, we’ve provided an easy and engaging way for Canadians to look inside the lives of Canadian farm families and what it takes to grow our food,” Petelle said.

“By connecting students with real farmers who sustainably grow safe, high-quality food, we hope they learn about some of the obstacles farmers have to tackle and the tools they need to do their jobs.”

The resource material can be found here.