Aggie Days to help educate students on food origins
In three words, it’s about “dirt to dinner.” But when the 11th annual Aggie Days takes place at Exhibition Park on April 25-26, there will be much more on the table.
The two-day educational agricultural trade show, presented by UFA and designed for students primarily in Grades 1 to 9, will feature interactive events such as a petting zoo, sheep shearing, rope making, calf roping and leather stamping, as well as a farm safety area with a number of demonstrations.
“It’s kind of teaching and showing ideas on how food got to the table, or basically as I call it ‘dirt to dinner,’” said Doug Kryzanowski, Exhibition Park’s marketing manager, during a media and sponsors breakfast Tuesday morning
“A lot of the urban young people don’t really realize where our food comes from. As the world increases in population, we have to understand where it actually does come from. One of those areas so richly invested is southern Alberta. It’s a message we have to get out.”
The attendance at Aggie Days has grown to 5,000 people in 2016 from 1,700 in 2007. There are already 48 exhibitors confirmed for 2017, including 14 new ones.
Kryzanowski says the uptick in visitors, as well as a new three-year contract extension with UFA, highlights the continued importance of the event.
“UFA has been a great partner, obviously, with us, and not just for the 11 years that this program’s been going,” he said. “It gives a target to continue to be better at this program.”
“It’s a really great educational opportunity for everybody,” said Jay Zacharopoulos, a community investment co-ordinator with UFA.
“It aligns well with our investment pillars. We’re really excited to be involved. We want to inspire future generations and make sure that they’re as knowledgeable and safe as they can be growing up in those practices.”
Aggie Days will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 25 and 26. Admission is free.
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