Sask Pork donates books to Saskatchewan schools in honour of Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month
By Lynn Redl-Huntington
Sask Pork celebrated Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month (CALM) with a donation of books to elementary schools in Saskatoon and Prince Albert.
CALM, celebrated annually every March and into April, is dedicated to teaching students about Canada’s agriculture industry and food story. In Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Agriculture in the Classroom connects students with farmers and people with a passion for agriculture and food. Volunteers are invited to join a classroom virtually or in-person to read to students and then share their agriculture story and fun activities.
Sask Pork’s Manager of On-Farm Programs Ravneet Kaur volunteered to read to Grade 2-3 students at Greystone Heights Elementary School in Saskatoon while Jessica Podhordeski read to Grade 3-4 students at West Central School in Prince Albert and to students at St. Marguerite School in Saskatoon. Both staff shared their experiences working in the pork industry, and answered students’ questions about pigs.
“Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month is such a great opportunity to showcase the pork industry to Saskatchewan youth, one classroom at a time,” said Jessica Podhordeski, who organizes ag education for Sask Pork and is also a board member for Agriculture in the Classroom Saskatchewan. “With strict biosecurity measures in place to ensure the good health of our hogs, in-barn learning opportunities are limited so this gives students a unique window into the industry that they might not be able to see otherwise.”
Sask Pork donated over $500 in books including classics about pigs and farm life, such as Charlotte’s Web and Dick King-Smith’s Babe, which was turned into the 1995 Hollywood blockbuster by the same name, grossing over $254 million. Sask Pork also brought soon to be classics like J.K. Rowling’s The Christmas Pig for older students and, for younger readers, the Peppa Pig series.
“Jessica’s presentation on the pork industry was great! Students were engaged and learned all about raising pork,” said teacher Carol Wilkinson from West Central School in Prince Albert.”
“To build the next generation of agricultural producers, we must inform and inspire Canadian youth. The objective of Agriculture in the Classroom is to spark their interest early by teaching youth about the origins of the food they eat and the role of our farm families, while raising awareness of the many possible careers in our sector. Supporting these efforts is an investment in a stronger, more sustainable agriculture sector,” said Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau.