Students Learn More About Their Food During March
Students across the province will learn more about where the food they eat comes from in March, Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month.
Fifty volunteers, including Agriculture Minister Keith Colwell, will visit Grade 3 classrooms, after March Break, to read from a newspaper insert about this year’s theme, Our Food, Our Story.
“Encouraging Nova Scotians to consume more locally grown food is important for the future of our rural communities and the security of our food supply,” said Mr. Colwell. “By hearing the story of how our food is grown students will better understand the importance of the food choices they and their families make and learn about the opportunities in agriculture at the same time.”
Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month is an educational initiative of Agriculture in the Classroom Canada and the Nova Scotia Agricultural Awareness Committee, with the support of Farm Credit Canada. This year, additional funding from Farm Credit Canada has allowed the event to expand to a full month from a week for the first time.
“The additional funding this year means that we can reach more students in each participating province – as the agriculture industry grows, so does the need for additional talented, energetic and well-educated young people.” said Michael Hoffort, president and CEO of Farm Credit Canada. “We are making more direct connections between students and their food, so they can understand more about a vital Canadian industry and the opportunities available to them.”
Agriculture is an important source of jobs and economic activity in Nova Scotia, accounting for $350 million in exports in 2016.
“Farmers in Nova Scotia appreciate the opportunity that Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month presents to share their story with students,” said Chris van den Heuvel, president of Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture. “There isn’t a better way for students and consumers alike to find out where their food comes from than from a farmer.”
More information is available at www.aitc-canada.ca/en/calm.html.