The first half of February includes several key dates for raising awareness of the challenges agriculture in Canada faces.
On the one hand, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture proclaims Food Freedom Day, the date by which estimates suggest the typical family has earned enough money to pay its food bill for the year. It’s modelled on Tax Freedom Day, the date by which families are deemed to have earned enough to pay their annual tax bill.
The fact that it doesn’t take long for families to earn the cash needed to buy food underscores the low price of food to Canadian consumers, and the high costs farmers face. It’s followed soon after by Canadian Agriculture Day, when farm organizations celebrate the success of agriculture in Canada. This year, the date is February 11.
The day will be the occasion for a special initiative in BC, engAGe at the UBC campus in Vancouver.
Organized by Agriculture in the Classroom Canada and the BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation, the event is set to draw 500 students and teachers to learn how agriculture offers options for science and technology careers as well as futures in business.
“With the ongoing focus on labour shortages in agriculture and food, our event looks to increase agriculture literacy and entice youth to pursue a meaningful and fulfilling career in agri-food,” says Kim Sabourin, communications manager with Agriculture in the Classroom Canada.
The event will include presentations as well as hands-on activities aimed at kindling a spark of enthusiasm for what agriculture is today, and what it can be in the hands of a new generation.
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Seasonal workers start to arrive