Educating youth on agriculture: kicking off Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month with $1.6 million in support of Agriculture in the Classroom

Headingley, Manitoba – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - The Government of Canada is committed to increasing awareness and promoting interest in agriculture across the country. Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C) starts these conversations early, teaching Canadian youth the importance of farming and the agri-food sector while promoting interest for future careers in agriculture and food.

 

Today, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced Agriculture in the Classroom Canada has been approved for up to $1.6 million over two years under the AgriCompetitiveness Program. The announcement marked the launch of one of AITC-C's flagship initiatives, Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month (CALM), which is now in its tenth year.

 

Funding through the AgriCompetitiveness Program, will help AITC-C offer innovative teaching tools and initiatives to provide accurate and consistent information on Canadian agriculture. Funds will also be used to expand upon current and new agriculture awareness tools, including snapAG fact sheets, the Little Green Thumbs school gardening program, a national rollout of their "Business of Food" teacher training program, CALM, and Journey 2050 virtual farm presentations. Due to AITC-C's ability to increase the scope of their programming, the investment represents a 50% increase in annual funding.

 

With more capacity to offer dynamic and unique outreach opportunities, AITC-C will bring students up close and personal with Canada's agriculture and agri-food sector.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.