September 16, 2016
Manitoba to Celebrate Agriculture During Farm and Food Awareness Week
The second annual Farm and Food Awareness Week takes place from Sept. 19 to 25 and all Manitobans are encouraged to learn more about what makes the province’s agriculture sector unique, important and engaging, Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler announced today.
“Manitoba has a proud agricultural history and we know that farming and farm families are an essential part of our future,” said Eichler. “Farm and Food Awareness Week is an ideal time to highlight the economic, environmental and many other contributions to Manitoba by farmers and the entire agriculture industry. A good place to start is by meeting a farmer and having a hands-on agricultural experience at Open Farm Day.”
Open Farm Day takes place on Sunday, Sept. 18 and is organized by the Manitoba Association of Agricultural Societies (MAAS). Visitors to any of the 44 participating host sites will learn about the farm and the food produced there, the province’s agricultural heritage and the connection to local agri-tourism. Many sites include demonstrations, markets, tours and other recreational activities. For the first time, a contest is also open to all visitors who make a short video of their Open Farm Day experience. More information, including a map of all participating host farms, is available at www.openfarmday.ca.
“Open Farm Day is an ideal way to begin a week celebrating farm and food awareness in Manitoba,” said Annette Young, president, MAAS. “Agriculture is the foundation upon which our province was built and continues to be a major contributor to our economy.”
Special events taking place during Farm and Food Awareness Week include:
• Agriculture in the Classroom – Manitoba’s Amazing Agriculture Adventure (AAA) takes place Sept. 20 to 22. This event teaches more than 1,000 Grade 4 and 5 students and teachers about modern agriculture through 16 hands-on and interactive stations. AAA is located at Richardson International’s Kelburn Farm and the Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre. The discovery centre is located near Glenlea and open to the public every Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit http://umanitoba.ca/afs/discoverycentre/. For more information about Agriculture in the Classroom – Manitoba, visit www.aitc.mb.ca.
• Food entrepreneurs from across the province will compete in the Great Manitoba Food Fight on Sept. 21 at DeLuca’s in Winnipeg. New and innovative food products will be judged by an expert panel, with three product development prizes available to help bring their creations to the marketplace. For more information, visit www.gmff.ca.
• Manitobans are invited to celebrate 25 years of organic crop research at the University of Manitoba’s Glenlea Research Station on Sept. 23. The event begins at 4 p.m. with a tour of the organic research plots, followed by a social evening featuring an organic menu and a flatbread made from an organically grown wheat variety developed at the university, educational activities for children and local craft beer sampling. Tickets can be purchased from the Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre in person or by phone at 204-883-2524.
In Manitoba, approximately 32,000 jobs in the agriculture and agri-food industries contribute approximately $3.6 billion to the provincial economy.
More information about Manitoba’s farm families, agriculture and the importance of the industry to the province will be shared throughout Farm and Food Awareness Week from the Twitter account at www.twitter.com/MBGovAg.
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