Farms.com Home   News

Ag in the Classroom connects Indigenous youth with agriculture opportunities

Ag in the Classroom is working with First Nations to inform young people about the opportunities available in Agriculture.

An event was held last Wednesday at the University of Saskatchewan that was attended by more than 200 grade 8 to 12 students -- some travelling more than four hours to get to Saskatoon.

"The idea behind this event was to bring Indigenous youth from across the province to the College of Ag and Bioresources and begin to explore agriculture and food sovereignty and hopefully get inspired to consider how they could be a part of either agriculture as a career in their future or different initiatives that might be taking place now or in the future in their community." explained Sara Shymko, Executive Director of Ag in the Classroom Saskatchewan.

One of the guest speakers was Cadmus Delorme. While Delorme was Chief of the Cowessess First Nation, there was an agricultural revival, with more than 5,000 acres now being farmed.

"They don't necessarily farm exactly the same way that, you know, non-Indigenous people do, and he shared some examples of that and talked about how his First Nation began grain farming again when he was chief and bringing back the buffalo. The point of this conversation was that these young people have any opportunity to do anything they want and they can be entrepreneurs, they can be leaders, they can be involved in food and agriculture in so many different ways." she said.

Shymko says it is important for Ag in the Classroom to work with First Nations.

Click here to see more...

Trending Video

Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.