How will you be celebrating Canada’s Ag Day on February 15?
Each February, one day is designated as Canada’s Ag Day. This day provides an opportunity for producers to talk with consumers about why agriculture is so important and how their food is produced. Whether in person or online, these important conversations provide an opportunity to build public trust with consumers by dispelling myths and fostering a positive dialogue about Canadian agriculture.
This year Canada’s Ag Day will be celebrated on Wednesday, February 15, and we’ll be partnering with Agriculture in the Classroom – Saskatchewan (AITC-SK) and Lake Country Co-op for another exciting challenge for schools across the province to find a way to celebrate agriculture. Classrooms can register at www.aitc.sk.ca and teachers can explore the student resources, programs and opportunities provided by AITC-SK.
Last year, we celebrated Canada’s Ag Day with the theme, Forks Up for Agriculture, where we raised a fork to the food we love and the people behind the food —from farmers and ranchers, truck drivers, equipment dealerships, grocery clerks, to restaurant workers— they are all involved in Saskatchewan’s intricate food chain. The 2022 student celebration challenge engaged 46 schools and 1,500 students from across Saskatchewan who found creative ways to celebrate agriculture in exchange for a plantable bookmark. These bookmarks were graciously sponsored by Harvest Meats in Yorkton and filled with carrot seeds which could be used as a bookmark or seeded into soil to sprout some tasty snacks.
Our challenge included students from Kindergarten to Grade 9, both rural and urban. Here are a few examples of how they chose to celebrate:
- “We used the AITC-SK kits which included My Food Story, Seed Kit and What’s in Your Lunchbox? These are fabulous resources and I look forward to using other materials later in the school year!” - Karen Hill, Willowgrove School, Saskatoon
- “Our Sparks coloured thank you cards to send to food heroes. We made collages of the foods that we enjoy and are thankful for.” - Michele Fisher, Sparks, Regina
- “We completed the Write a Letter to a Food Hero activity. Students watched videos about what a food hero was and then we thought about food heroes in our community. Each student chose a food hero and wrote kind words thanking them for their hard work. Students also completed the Favourite Food Grown in Canada activity. Finally, we completed the bee guided reading lesson. The students enjoyed learning about bees and how honey is made.” - Rachelle Harder, Kerrobert School
This year, we invite all producers to celebrate Canada’s Ag Day over social media by:
- Posting photos, videos or stories about agriculture with the hashtag #Cdnagday, and tag @ Skagriculture, @aitcsk and @lakecountrycoop with your post.
Sharing what Canadian agriculture means to you including your family history in the industry and how you are celebrating.
- Sharing a little insight for consumers about the daily responsibility’s producers have around the farm.
- Posting recipes, pictures or videos of you making or enjoying Canadian food or beverages.
- Downloading graphics from the Canadian Agriculture Day website and sharing them in your social media.
Saskatchewan is home to more than 40 per cent of Canada’s cultivated farmland and has some of the most productive land in the world. Our province is the world’s largest exporter of peas, lentils, durum wheat, mustard seed, canola, flax seed and oats and is the second largest cattle-producing province in Canada. We’re also home to more than 300 food processing companies, including the supercluster Protein Industries Canada and the Saskatchewan Food Centre. Our province is filled with innovative producers and early adopters of commercial technology who have led the way in boosting the province’s agricultural productivity. With so much to celebrate, we look forward to Canada’s Ag Day 2023.
To learn more about other exciting events happening in your region, contact the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377.