On June 2, six schools in the province will have a hot lunch provided by Saskatchewan farmers. Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan and Agriculture in the Classroom Saskatchewan are working together to sponsor a lunch and provide snacks and activities to help students and teachers learn more about how food is produced.
“It’s a chance for kids to think about how the food that they’re eating got from the farms and ranches where it is grown to their plates,” says Clinton Monchuk, Executive Director of Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan, which is spearheading the initiative. “Lots of times, we don’t think about the fact that the food that your local restaurant is serving likely has ingredients that were produced right in here in our province.”
Schools in Prince Albert, Regina, Yorkton, Lloydminster and Saskatoon will receive a hot egg sandwich with bacon and cheese, along with a carton of milk, a granola bar and a beef jerky snack. As well, Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan is providing each student and teacher with a Meals From the Farm bag that includes snacks, activities, pencils, recipes and seeds for the garden.
Lunch is only one part of the Meals From the Farm day. Farm & Food Care has prepared a series of online lessons to help people gain a basic understanding of some of the main sectors of agriculture in Saskatchewan and an online agriculture trivia contest for participating schools to test their farm knowledge and even win prizes for their classroom.
Clinton Monchuk, who in addition to his responsibilities with Farm & Food Care, is a grain and egg farmer from Lanigan, will also be presenting a video tour of his egg barn and hosting a live question and answer session with participating schools on the morning of June 2. “I want to show the kids exactly how eggs are produced on our farm,” Monchuk explains.
“Meals From the Farm is a wonderful hands-on opportunity for kids to investigate how farmers grow the foods we eat,” says Kendall Pierce, Principal of Caswell Community School in Saskatoon.
“This project is a great way to showcase how farmers can give back to the youth in this province and support these schools,” says Sara Shymko, Executive Director of Agriculture in the Classroom. “We know that given the opportunity, children want to learn more about their food and where it comes from.”
Led by Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan and presented by the Saskatchewan Egg Producers and Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan, Meals From the Farm is a collaboration with Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, Canola Eat Well, Cargill, Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, SaskOats, Grain Millers, SaskMilk, SaskPork, SaskFlax and Agriculture in the Classroom Saskatchewan.
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