Students at Sacred Heart School recently had the opportunity to ask a local agronomist their questions about agriculture during a live video visit in their classroom on March 25.
Organized by Agriculture in the Classroom Saskatchewan, teacher Rene Lewko and her Grade 3 classroom welcomed Moose Jaw intern agronomist Paige Straf for a video presentation on agriculture in Saskatchewan.
Straf shared how she came to be involved with the Ministry of Agriculture here in Moose Jaw, and spoke with students about how she helps ranchers and farmers get the most out of their pastures and croplands.
“I think it’s important to share my knowledge of agriculture with kids because it gives them a better idea of where their food comes from, and provides a connection between real people and farms,” said Straf, in an email with the Moose Jaw Express. “Farmers and ranchers work hard to make sure their crops and livestock are healthy, so we want to share that message with kids and their families.”
She also spoke about the many crops grown here in the province and what those grains are used for, and shared an educational video tour of Triple H Farm, a cattle operation located in northeast Saskatchewan.
The classroom visit was one of many organized across the province as part of Ag in the Classroom’s programming for Agriculture Literacy Month.
As an annual campaign, Ag Literacy Month aims to share knowledge with kids about Saskatchewan’s agri-food sector — a challenge that both Straf and Lewko feel is worthwhile.
“When I was younger, I would have loved to learn more about agriculture so I’m happy to share my knowledge now,” said Straf.
Lewko, also in email correspondence with the Express, said that the virtual visit was a hit with students, many of whom aren’t often exposed to agriculture as part of their daily lives in Moose Jaw.
“I find that children are not exposed to agriculture and farming and it is generally a new topic for them. However they were extremely interested in it,” said Lewko.
The students did some in-classroom supplement learning prior to the visit, which meant they had plenty of questions about cattle ranching and showed off their trivia knowledge with a question and answer period about Saskatchewan grains.
Overall, Lewko felt that the programming from Ag in the Classroom provided her classroom with a positive look at agriculture.
“They loved exploring all of the different farms and the processes the food took until it finally reached our homes,” said Lewko. “A presentation like this shows the students the connection and the importance of agriculture right here in our own province.”
