Two high school students from Acme — Monique Uittenbogerd and Maria Penner — recently became teachers for the day, educating over 100 Little Green Thumbs elementary students in Calgary about life on the farm.
The Little Green Thumbs program is part of Ag for Life’s educational outreach efforts and informs 5,000 students across Alberta about the importance of agriculture and its connection to their lives.
The duo’s talk about growing up on farms in Kneehill County and how wheat goes from a tiny seed to flour helped build and expand students’ understanding of Alberta’s agriculture industry.
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“Many of the elementary students have never stepped on a farm let alone had a farmer in the classroom,” said Penner. “It was an exciting day of learning about the hard work that is required to produce grains and oilseeds for consumers in Alberta and across the world.”
“Today was important because as rural students we have the chance to experience the city but it’s much harder for urban children to get out and experience the farm,” added Uittenbogerd. “There’s children who don’t know where their food comes from and it’s important for us to share this knowledge.”
Agriculture for Life-supported agriculture education programs include Alberta Open Farm Days, Classroom Agriculture Program, Little Green Thumbs, and On-farm Tours.
For more information visit agricultureforlife.ca.
