September 12, 2024 (Winnipeg, MB) - The Great Canadian Farm Tour is back for its fourth season and, for the first time, it’s taking place in the fall to showcase an entirely different season in Canadian agriculture. From October through December, Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) and its 10 provincial members invite students across the country to get a taste of harvest and experience fall operations in Canadian agriculture and food.
Season 4 kicks off on October 4 at a sea buckthorn farm in New Brunswick and includes tour stops at a pumpkin farm in Newfoundland and Labrador, a cranberry farm in British Columbia, and the most northern greenhouse apple orchard in the Northwest Territories.
“By holding the tour in the fall, we are looking forward to showcasing a different flavour of agriculture,” says Luree Williamson, Acting Executive Director at AITC-C. “It’s a time of harvest, preparation for the festive seasons, and a shift in the rhythms of farm life. This season offers new learning opportunities for students to discover the seasonality of food production in Canada.”
While all grade levels are invited to participate, the tours are targeted at students in kindergarten to Grade 6. All tours will be available in both English and French, with simultaneous translation and closed captioning for accessibility. Teachers will also receive curriculum-connected digital activity books to accompany each tour and keep students engaged.
“As we kick off another school year, we’re excited to add the Great Canadian Farm Tour to our fall programming lineup,” says Williamson. “It’s going to be another busy year as our provincial members are preparing programs and resources to get agriculture and food education into classrooms, participate in fairs and host events across Canada.”
Many programs are already underway for our provincial members. AITC-PEI is distributing their Egg to Chick kits to classrooms across the island and AITC-SK is hosting Fall Food Farms for Grade 3 and 4 students throughout September and October. AITC-Manitoba is preparing for its popular Amazing Agriculture Adventure, taking place September 24 to 27. This year, the program has expanded to include students in Grades 3-6 and a special day just for high schools.
The Great Canadian Farm Tour is made possible thanks to the generous support of FCC and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, who are both presenting partners and valued supporters of AITC-C.
To learn more about the Great Canadian Farm Tour and to register, visit aitc-canada.ca/en-ca/resources-programs/the-great-canadian-farms-tour
Great Canadian Farm Tour – Season 4:
October 4 at noon ET – Sea buckthorn in New Brunswick with AITC-NB
October 10 at noon ET – Pumpkin farm in Newfoundland and Labrador with AITC-NL
October 23 at noon ET – Egg farm in Nova Scotia with AITC-NS
November 4 at noon ET- Turkey farm in Alberta with Agriculture for Life
November 6 at 1:00 p.m. ET – Robotic dairy farm in Quebec with École-O-Champ
November 12 at 12:30 p.m. ET – Christmas tree farm in Prince Edward Island with AITCPEI
November 20 at noon ET – Greenhouse apple orchard in the Northwest Territories with the Territorial Agrifood Association
November 27 at 11:00 a.m. ET – Cranberry farm in British Columbia with BCAITC
December 5 at 11:30 a.m. ET – Ice cream production in Manitoba with AITC-M
Date TBD in Ontario with AgScape
Date TBD in Saskatchewan with AITC-SK
About AITC-C
With a vision to create meaningful connections to agriculture and food, AITC-C is the national advocate for agriculture education, representing a collective of 10 provincial partner organizations who deliver agriculture education on the ground across Canada. AITC-C is the umbrella organization connecting the national network to facilitate sharing and collaboration and deliver accurate, balanced, and current resources. Visit www.aitc-canada.ca to learn more.
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For more information, contact:
Tracey Shelton
tshelton@aitc-canada.ca
204-995-2102