PUBLISHED BY MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS
JUNE 2023
CE 1998 SIN
Kiss and make up: photographer Jeannette Greaves recently captured this image on her property in the Deerwood area.
Cows in the Classroom -- Virtually In today’s fast-paced and technology-driven world, many Manitoba students are becoming increasingly disconnected from where their food comes from. This past April, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) partnered with Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba (AITC-M) to reconnect students with their food by bringing beef cows into the classroom – virtually. On April 19, students in 61 classrooms watched a broadcast of a beef farm tour led by Andre Steppler, a beef farmer in Miami, Manitoba. Camera crew in tow, Steppler and his family gave the students an up-closeand-personal look at how they care for their environment while providing safe, healthy meat for Manitoba and the world. “It was a great opportunity to tell our farming story on how our food is produced,” says Steppler. “It’s crucial for Manitoba beef producers and farmers to engage with schools through programs like these.”
A live question-and-answer session after the tour allowed students to ask Andre questions directly. “My students were excited to see the whole Steppler family, including the children, involved in raising and caring for the animals,” says Elaine Owen, a Grade 6 teacher at Miami School. The tour was the highlight of Beef Week (April 17-21), a social media campaign hosted by AITC-M and sponsored by MBP. Beef Week challenged Manitoba students and teachers to beef up their knowledge about beef production without leaving the classroom. Throughout the week, AITC-M also promoted classroom activities and resources that engage students in a richer understanding of beef and Manitoba’s beef industry. For example, AITC-M provides a classroom guide for teachers to use with Guardians of the Grasslands, a documentary exploring endangered ecosystems and how cattle contribute to their survival. AITC-M also highlighted the beef guide, fact sheet, and online learning module it developed with MBP
for the Foundations of Manitoba Agriculture virtual resource hub, which launched last September. Each resource features accurate, balanced, and current information about Manitoba beef production from industry experts working with curriculum specialists and covers subject areas including science, the environment, history, nutrition, and careers. Partnerships like Beef Week are enormously valuable for Manitoba’s agriculture industry because they fill a critical gap in the industry’s outreach capacity, says Katharine Cherewyk, AITC-M executive director. “We’re grateful to Manitoba Beef Producers because they understand the value of inspiring the next generation today. Imagine the outcomes we can achieve for Manitoba agriculture if we engage even more teachers and students through weeks like Beef Week. It truly is an investment in our future.” Visit Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba for more information.
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BY: JOHN GAUDES AND RYAN MCBRIDE