Educating the younger folk is something the farming industry must keep doing, and keep doing it well for food production to continue to flourish and for those younger to keep telling others farmers are doing it right, safely, cost effective, and for sure keeping it healthy.

Myrna Grahn, the manager of the University of Manitoba’s Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre, just a short ride from the City of Winnipeg on Hwy 75 south, says over 30 school groups have visited the facility since the beginning of this year.

This Centre, located at University of Manitoba’s Glenlea Research Station features a 10,000 square foot space in which families, school groups, farm groups and the public can come to learn more about where their food comes from. Grahn says the facility offers 10 different programs based on the school curriculum from grades 3 and 4 up to grades 10 and 11.

“Since the beginning of 2016 we’ve had over 30 school groups come through and the groups can range from a classroom, maybe the size of 20 all the way up to a full grade from a school which could be up to 75 to 80,” she said. “Those numbers get very large but we try to accommodate with a myriad of activities that they do throughout the day. Of course the students, when they come, love to see baby piglets being born and we advertise on our web site when those baby piglets will be born.”

Grahn says some of the youngsters have even watched some dairy calves coming into this world when they tour, the babies at the dairy calf barn get a lot of attention and excitement.

“We have has a number of businesses hold their meetings here and we also get some daycares coming out or some schools that have learning disabilities or different challenges have come out as well and, again, just pure excitement even getting on the tractor and wagon,” she said. “We give them a tour of the Glenlea Research Station as a live operating farm and it’s always a success.”

Grahn says this past April and May the facility was fully booked for school tours and some had to be turned away because there simply weren’t any other dates available.

For more on the Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre, including a list of summer activities, visit FFDC.Ca •

— By Harry Siemens