Food Farm returns for Swift Current students

Not everyone grows up on the farm anymore, but that doesn't mean learning about where food comes from is being forgotten. 

That's what the kids from All Saints Catholic School in Swift Current were doing during their field trip to the Stewart family ranch out by Morse yesterday.

​ It was a bit eerie to start, but the buses arrived with energetic students, ready to learn about the farm life.

Two school buses full of third graders rolled through the misty morning hills to arrive at the farm, where they were greeted by the friendly faces of Erika Stewart and members of Ag in School who were helping for the day. 

Nicole Jacobson is a teacher at All Saints Catholic School in Swift Current and was excited to have the kids learning about farm life. 

Nicole Jacobson managed to wrangle all of her students into groups before they went off to the various stations. 

"We used to attend a Food Farm in Swift Current just at the research station, and then COVID kind of hit," shared Jacobson. "They managed to get something up and going again this year, which is a great opportunity for the students. Agriculture in the Classroom is a great organization. We just decided let's go back again."

Some of these students had never even been to a farm before. For them, everything was a new experience, with something new to learn. 

One of those students was Lee Brown, a third-grade student at All Saint's Catholic School in Swift Current. 

"I'm excited to be here today and see the animals and other stuff," said Brown. "Seeing the animals and petting them, that'll be pretty cool."

More than just petting animals, the day also had a station where they were able to learn about cattle, grain, vegetables, and other aspects of the farm operation. 

Students were quick to pick up on the information being shared, and to watch their step. 

The children were organized into groups and escorted to the different farm stations, which educated them on each of the different aspects of life on a farm and where their food comes from. 

Helping share all that important knowledge was Shannon Chant, a crop extensions specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in Swift Current. 

"We brought along some seeds for a few different things," said Chant. "So we've got a couple of cool matching games where the kids can look at some pictures of some crops in the field and guess what crop they think it is, and then we'll match them to the seed that is the right one. Then we talk about what kind of food products they make."

How these kids ended up all the way at a farm out by Morse for these lessons begins with Erika Stewart, who co-runs the property with her husband, Lyle Stewart. She thought the program served an important purpose and that they could help facilitate it. 

Lyle and Erika Stewart, ranchers and educational advocates. 

"So they feel safe about their food," explained Stewart. "If they have questions, now maybe they have some base knowledge or know maybe where to go and ask these questions instead of believing what they see on social media." 

Once she had heard about the program, she was able to approach Ag in School and ask about hosting the Food Farm event. After obtaining all the green lights and ensuring they were suited to the task, the partnership began. 

"I would say just connecting them with their food, I think that's really important," said Stewart. "So they know that there are families just like our family that's producing beef and, we don't grow crops, but other families do in Saskatchewan and that they have a connection with their food."

Afterwards, the kids were able to pile back onto the buses and return to Swift Current with some great lessons on where their food comes from, some of the work it takes to raise and grow it, and maybe even gaining a seed of interest in the farm life themselves.