Volunteer for CALM

Jan 24, 2022

Volunteer for Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month in March 2022

Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month (CALM)
Mois de la littératie agricole Canadienne (MLAC)

CALM is a hands-on program that brings agriculture into classrooms and encourages students to learn about and celebrate Canadian agriculture. Many students don’t fully understand what agriculture is. By telling students why you love Canadian agriculture and giving them a glimpse of what you do, you will open their eyes to new knowledge, help them build a stronger appreciation for the food they eat, and for the role agriculture plays in their lives.

All teachers will be provided with a hands-on agriculture activity and an agriculture themed book in addition to a personalized virtual visit from you – our volunteers!

Every year, we need a team of over 150 volunteers to meet the demand for CALM. We anticipate that with a fully virtual offering, this demand from teachers will grow even more - so we are calling on you! If you feel comfortable with giving a virtual presentation, we will take as many as you are willing to offer. French AND English-speaking volunteers needed!

Who: Grade 1 to 6 students
Date: March 2022
Time: 30-60 min
How: Pick a virtual platform (Zoom, Teams, Skype, FaceTime…) and date/time with the teacher
Registration: Jan. 7 - Feb. 4, 2022

Virtual Presentation Details/Things to think about:

The CALM 2022 classroom activity will focus on seeds with a new MB Seed Kit (15 crops from MB) and a planting kit for younger students. So, whether your job in agriculture involves crops, livestock, nutrition, processing, or finance, there will be a way for you to tie your story to this activity being provided to classrooms.
We will provide a PowerPoint with general ag information and photos that you can use and/or modify for what you need. You can also start from scratch and make your own!
Think about what you want to share about what you do in agriculture. How can you tell your story in a fun and engaging way to students? Think pictures, props, interesting stories…you could even show them around your workplace on video!

We will provide training to help you put together an engaging virtual presentation that can be delivered right from your home office or workplace. As a CALM volunteer, you will still share YOUR story.

New for 2022

When you register to volunteer for CALM, you will first need to create your new volunteer profile. Then you will log in to your new profile to register as a CALM volunteer.

Sign Up Today!

Source : aitc.mb.ca

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.