A drone captures a group image of the 85 students, their teachers and various volunteers involved with the local Canadian Foodgrains Bank growing project’s annual Harvest Day held this year on Sept. 14 at the Moody’s Equipment compound in Kindersley
Kenneth Brown
of The Clarion
A large group of students has been educated on agriculture and food security after attending the Harvest Day event at a local farm implement dealership.
The annual Harvest Day was held on Sept. 14 at the Moody’s Equipment compound in Kindersley. Grade 7 students from Elizabeth Middle School were joined by students from Luseland School and Westcliffe Composite School.
There were 85 students in attendance.
The event is a partnership between local businesses and committee members for the Prairie West Growing Project, a charity harvest in support of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFB). The group has held Harvest Day since 2013 and the event has grown.
Each year, a crop is grown northwest of Kindersley on 140 acres of land donated by Don and Linda Lafleur. The first Harvest Day was held at the Lafleur farm with a single Grade 7 class from Westberry School.
The event has been held at the Moody’s Equipment compound since 2015, so the actual CFB harvest at the Lafleur farm doesn’t coincide with Harvest Day. The students instead learn from agricultural experts and other guests.
The Prairie West Growing Project also includes a field of crops south of Eston.
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At Harvest Day, the students were split into four groups and rotated between stations. Most of the stations were moved inside due to cool temperatures, with one station outside in a heated tent.
Jill Martens, an agronomist for G-Mac’s AgTeam, showed students several plants and crops at the station called From Farm to Table.
Staff from Saskatchewan Crop Insurance and Saskatchewan Agriculture spoke about crop uses and careers in agriculture at another station.
Rick Block, one of two regional CFB representatives for Saskatchewan, educated students on the organization and food security at his station.
And Moody’s Equipment employees showed students a combine and a sprayer at the final station.
Ally Cross, a member of the committee and a spokesperson for Harvest Day, said the day went “really well” despite the cool conditions. There were more students on hand than organizers anticipated and they appeared to learn from the experience, so it was a good result, Cross said.
Grade 7 students from Kindersley have always attended the event and students from other schools started to attend in 2016. It’s the first year students from Luseland School joined in.
Cross, who helped Martens at the From Farm to Table station, said she likes that the event helps teach students about the food they eat. Students learn their food doesn’t originate at the grocery store, she said. It’s good for the students to learn about the CFB and its goal to help end global hunger.
“It’s good that someone from the Canadian Foodgrains Bank comes to explain what we are and what we do,” she said. “The kids learn where their food comes from, but also that we’re fortunate to have everything readily available to us as opposed to some countries that don’t have that option.”
Harvest Day organizers thank Kindersley Packers, the Smiley Colony and the Kindersley and District Co-op for donating the food for lunch, and Nalco Champion for the barbecue used to cook the lunch.
Block, who lives in Saskatoon, and his wife share duties as CFB regional representatives for Saskatchewan. He attended the Harvest Day with his predecessor in 2016 and he came to participate in 2017. He said he enjoyed his day and it’s a privilege to connect with youth.
He noted that he enjoys seeing what youth understand about the importance of food for their health and about the dynamics of the agricultural landscape around them. He spoke to students about global hunger.
“All in all, it was a great day,” Block said, adding that there’s a community development component with the involvement by local landowners, businesses and volunteers in the growing project and through the more recent involvement of youth through Harvest Day.
Eric Friesen, a member of the committee and manager of Moody’s Equipment in Kindersley, said it was a good day with a nice turnout of students. He said the company and its staff look forward to hosting the students.
Lindsay Johnson, a Grade 7 teacher at Elizabeth School, said it was an interesting day for her because she grew up on a farm and even she learned things from the experience. She added that students had fun and organizers “did a really good job” by having activities to show crops, farm machinery and other items to students.
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