YORKTON, Sask. — Bridging the gap between urban and rural Saskatchewan, more than 1,400 students are learning where their food comes from at Yorkton's Harvest Showdown.
Grade 4 and Grade 7 students from communities across east-central Saskatchewan and western Manitoba are taking part in the annual Ag Education School Tours, which run alongside the livestock and agricultural exhibition.
The program features 18 interactive stations where students learn about topics ranging from dairy production and fertilizer to livestock, grain processing and the history of farming.
"We have about 1,400 kids that come every year," said Cheyanne Quam, general manager of the Yorkton Exhibition Association. "The kids get to hear from industry leaders about where their food's coming from and agricultural practices."
Representatives from organizations including SaskMilk, Grain Millers, Mosaic, Wendell Honey and the Western Development Museum are among those leading the presentations.
Quam said the program helps address what she describes as a growing disconnect between urban and rural Saskatchewan.
"I think we have come to a point where it's an acknowledged fact that there is an urban-rural divide," she said. "Every year, less and less kids have that rural connection."
As fewer young people have family ties to farming, Quam said many are losing firsthand exposure to agriculture.
"That leaves room for misinformation or just not a true awareness of where their food is coming from," she said.
The tours are designed not only to educate students but also to help them build connections with producers and industry professionals.
"What we provide here through our Ag Education School Tours program is the opportunity for kids not only to learn, but also to celebrate agriculture," said Quam.
One of the stations this year is operated by Grain Millers, where students learn how oats move from the field to the breakfast table.
Kelly Cornelius, a grain procurement merchant with Grain Millers in Yorkton, guides students through the process of planting, harvesting, processing and manufacturing oat-based products.
"It's giving them a better understanding of where their food's coming from," said Cornelius. "It's not just coming from a grocery store shelf."
The display includes virtual reality headsets that allow students to take a virtual tour inside the company's milling facility and experience riding in farm equipment during seeding and harvest.
"They get to get a glimpse inside the mill with the VR," Cornelius said. "I don't think a lot of kids from urban backgrounds get to see that firsthand."
Cornelius, who has participated in Harvest Showdown's education program for several years, said students are consistently engaged, regardless of whether they come from farming families.
"The rural kids almost know the answers before they're out of my mouth," he said. "But even the kids that are from the city, they're really interested."
Among those taking part was 12-year-old Grade 7 student Serge DeJesus, who said he enjoyed the hands-on activities.
His favourite stop was an animal exhibit featuring sheep.
"They're soft," he said. "I like their wool."
DeJesus also tried the virtual reality experience, which showed how oats are produced and processed.
Another station introduced students to the role bees play in agriculture and food production.
Nathan Wendell, attending on behalf of the Saskatchewan Beekeepers Development Commission, said teaching children about pollinators is an important part of understanding the food system.
"Through producing honey and particularly pollination, they do so much for the food supply," Wendell said. "They're so important to all of us to produce food and to make sure that we have enough to eat."
For organizers, those lessons are exactly what the program is meant to achieve.
By combining interactive exhibits, technology and face-to-face conversations with industry experts, the tours aim to give students a better understanding of modern agriculture and the people who produce the food they eat every day.
As fewer young people grow up with direct connections to farming, organizers hope those lessons and conversations will help bridge the growing divide between urban and rural Saskatchewan.
