Spotlight put on careers in agriculture

More than 600 students spent part of their Wednesday learning about careers in the agricultural and food industry.

But they weren’t in a classroom.

The Grade 7 and 8 students from Norfolk, Haldimand and Brant visited the Norfolk County Agricultural Society fairgrounds to meet representatives from a range of agriculture and food-related organizations.

“I’ve been really looking forward to this,” Billy Lipsit, 13, who attends Port Rowan Public School. “I’m a farmer and we don’t really do a whole lot of agriculture stuff in school so this is something different.

“I’m looking forward to learning about livestock as well as different pesticides.”

Organized by AgScape and the Workforce Planning Board of Grand Erie, the event was called thinkAg Career Competition.

“There are a lot of jobs in agriculture and food processing,” Mercedes Unwin, AgScape’s program manager, said. “Our goal today is to help these students understand that no matter what they’re interested in, there’s a career opportunity for them in agriculture and food.

“If they like science, art, engineering, there is a job for them in agriculture and food.”

Students rotated between 11 different stations where they participated in a range of agriculture based games and activities.

By way of example, a group of students from St. Joseph’s School in Simcoe were divided into two teams and competed to answer questions from representatives of Egg Farmers of Ontario.

They also had an opportunity to learn about climate change and crop planting from a representative of Ontario Genomics. Other groups included the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Libro Credit Union, Great Lakes Grain, 4-H Ontario, Food Grads and local farmers.

The students spent 10 to 12 minutes at each booth and had an opportunity to meet Ken Hodge, a fourth-generation farmer who grows corn, soybeans, kidney beans and ginseng on a 130-acre farm on Fairfield Road near Harley.

Hodge brought a huge piece of farm equipment with him to give students an opportunity to experience a farmer’s view of a field.

Mayumi Sripathmarajah,12, attends St. Joseph’s School in Simcoe and was looking forward to learning about agriculture.

“I think so,” Mayumi said when asked if she would consider a career in the agri-food industry. “I feel it would be a good job and career especially the way society is right now.

“Society has really changed, we have a lot of factories right now and this is the type of career that would be better for the environment.”

Mayumi, who enjoys math and science, was looking forward to visiting the various stations set up in The Aud.

AgScape, the co-organizer of the event, is based in Milton and provides curriculum-linked food literacy programs and resources to Ontario’s educators and students.

“Through this event, students will understand the positive impact of agriculture and food on our economy, environment and society while discovering the diverse, rewarding careers available,” said Mira Lyonblum, AgScape’s executive director.

Danette Dalton, the workforce planning board’s executive director, said agriculture and agri-food are huge industries in Grand Erie.

There are more than 2,700 local agriculture and agri-food businesses in Grand Erie.

“Yet many students are unaware of the many exciting careers and job opportunities in agriculture and food,” Dalton said. “This think-AG Career Competition is a fun way to help change that.”

The workforce planning board is one of 26 non-profit organizations in Ontario that play a leadership role in labor force planning. It is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario

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