The province of Saskatchewan has once again declared March to be Agriculture Literacy Month, to promote conversations about the agriculture industry among students across the province.
“Agriculture Literacy Month is a great opportunity to educate our children and grandchildren about the dedication of Saskatchewan producers and the world-class, environmentally sustainable food that they grow,” said agriculture minister David Marit, in a press release. “Through stories and presentations, students will learn first-hand how our producers create the safe, high-quality products they are known for.”
This is the 10th year in a row that Saskatchewan has celebrated Agriculture Literacy Month, with the goal of showing students the role agriculture plays in both this province and across the world.
To support this initiative, the provincial government has pledged an additional $400,000 in funding to Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) Saskatchewan this year. The funding is sourced from the surplus left after the winding-down of the Gross Revenue Insurance Program in 1996.
“It’s remarkable to reflect on 10 years of Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month and the thousands of meaningful student connections we’ve made with the agri-food sector,” said AITC Sask executive director Sara Shymko in a press release. “We appreciate the additional funding and are excited about the opportunities to continue to grow this valuable program and develop new student experiences.”
AITC Sask is providing classrooms with virtual programming for Ag Literacy Month this year, providing educators with Healthy Foods from Healthy Farms resources like books, interactive activities and a video series exploring food production and processing.
They are also connecting classrooms with local farmers and ag industry professionals in their area for virtual classroom visits throughout the month.
Since it began, Agriculture Literacy Month has reached over 42,000 students in over 1,500 schools, thanks to the support of more than 1,000 volunteers.
