The annual ‘Pizza Farm’ spring tours for students took place this week, with hundreds of youth involved.
The Pizza Farm, an idea launched in Yorkton seven years ago, and now copied at several places in the province, attracted 360 students from nine different schools, and two school divisions, said Rachel Kraynick, an Ag Program Specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food in Yorkton, and an event organizer.
The Grade 3 students visited the Pizza Farm located at the Bayer Research Farm east of the city, where they were walked through eight different stations, all designed to provide some insight into agriculture, said Kraynick.
The stations included one pertaining to genetically modified crops, explaining what GM means, and what its benefits to agriculture are, said Kraynick.
Another station focused on farm safety, while a third, with the help of Mosaic taught about fertilizer.
Another station looked at water, in particular the importance of riparian areas, said Kraynick. The display included a chance to do some ‘critter dipping’, taking a water sample from a natural water body to see what actually lives in the water.
Pattison Agriculture had an air seeder on-site for the students to get to know a bit more about modern farm equipment.
The staff of FCC in the city had a vegetable planting station where students helped put tomatoes, peppers and onions, all pizza ingredients into the garden area.
Grain Millers provided information of field crops including oats, corn and peas, said Kraynick, while another station dealt with wheat and canola as well as the use of crop protection products.
Kraynick said the Grade 3 students will return to the site in the fall to see what has grown, and learn at harvest, adding by then they will be in Grade 4.
Kraynick also thanked Domino Pizza for providing lunch for all the students and volunteers both days.
Kraynick said the learning stations, and in fact the entire program would not be possible without a legion of volunteers. She said 40 people helped over the two days, and some added support was given by a group of students from Sacred Heart High School who helped with the younger students throughout the two days.
