Thousands Of Kids Flock To Aggie Days

Apr 05, 2019

Students are getting a taste of where their food comes from at the Stampede Grounds this week.

Aggie Days in on from Wednesday, April 3 to Friday, April 5 where students from Grade three to six can interact with farm animals and displays.

The chickens were a big hit at the Egg Farmers of Canada Booth where Ag Ambassador, Jody Fraser, says kids always ask what's the difference between the white and brown eggs.

"The brown hens will lay the brown eggs and the white hens lay the white eggs," she said. "The brown hens tend to eat a little bit more feed, so that's why their eggs are a little bit bigger."

Fraser says it's important for the students, and even parents, to learn where eggs come from and how livestock are cared for.

Grade three student Jude Andrews was at Aggie Days with his classmates from Bearspaw School.

Andrews says he liked learning more about his food.

"The corn facts were really cool because I didn't know a lot about corn, and we're looking forward to going on the wagon ride."

There was about 3,500 students at the Stampede Grounds on Thursday with total registrations nearing 9,000 kids for the three days.

The Stampede's Ag Education Committee Past Chair, Grant Northcott, says he's been volunteering for about 12 years.

"If us old farmers can educate our urban neighbors a little bit about where their food comes from, then we were successful. Let's face it, a lot of these kids never get a chance to set foot on a farm, or go near a farm, or near an animal, so here they do."

Aggie Days is open to the public this weekend from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday, where Northcott says their expecting another 40,000 people.

Source : Discoverairdrie

Video: Home Grown Ontario Tulips

Ontario’s flower sector is blooming ??

With more than $1 billion in farmgate sales and over $650 million in annual exports—much of it centred in the Niagara region—Ontario growers are a major force in Canada’s floriculture industry. In fact, the province produces roughly 50% of all flowers grown in the country, serving a market of over 100 million consumers within a one-day drive.

It’s a powerful example of how strategic location, cross-border access, and strong production capacity come together to support both local agriculture and global markets ??

?? Watch as Andrew Morse, Executive Director of Flowers Canada, shares insights and the full story behind Ontario’s tulip industry and its thriving flower sector.