Warren Spagrud admits he has trouble putting into words what he and his wife Wendy do for a living every day.
But the Rockglen, Sask., rancher was more than happy to try articulating his love of the land to a bus load of inquisitive teachers during the Agriculture in the Classroom Sask. Inc. 2005 Ag Road Show, held last month.
“I just stressed to them that we’re taking care of the land and trying to make it produce as good as possible, but not destroy it; leave it in better shape than we found it,” said Spagrud.
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On the July 4-8 tour, 25 schoolteachers covered 1,100 kilometres of road in southern Saskatchewan. The group learned about prairie grassland ecology, wetlands, indigenous wildlife, ranchland management and beef feedlots.
“It was such an eye-opener for me,” said Jackie Tennet, a principal from Saskatoon. “I didn’t know very much about that part of the province. I’ve lived in Saskatchewan my entire life, and I had never been down farther than Regina. I know I’m not the only person who knows nothing about that part of the province.”
For others, the highlight was getting out onto the prairie grasslands and interacting with those producers who are its stewards. These ranch tours were the most informative part of the tour for high school teacher Cindy Miller.
“You’re right out in the middle of the pasture, tip-toeing around the cow patties. We could have been sitting around a kitchen table talking about it. But when you’re actually standing there and seeing it for yourself, and looking around and noticing fine little details, I’d say that was probably the highlight.”
Miller, who is originally from the southwest, said she is always amazed at the diversity of ecosystems between the south and the north of the province, where she now resides. She plans on developing a special credit exchange program between students from the two areas.
Both teachers loved the hands-on aspect of the tour. “When you learn as a participant rather than a spectator, the experience is so much more richer, and that really is a sustainable kind of learning,” Tennet said.
Sheila Friesen, program manager of Agriculture in the Classroom Sask. Inc., hailed the tour a success, noting that the teachers were keen on learning about raising and watering cattle, the various ecosystems of the ranching area and how to keep the land viable for generations.
“I think they came away with new perspectives on ranching and the environment, and how the two work together. It was a very positive week.”
Tennet said the tour altered how she perceives ranchers, as they strive to sustain their own industry while protecting the environment, adding that she plans on introducing some native prairie grasses to her acreage.
“It changed the way I view prairie pastureland, the balance between living for now and making sure we save our environment for the future, which I saw those people down there doing.”
She hoped to develop simulation activities and board games for students based on the agricultural stewardship themes of the road tour.
Spagrud was also enthusiastic about the program, believing more teachers need to go on excursions such as this one.
“How do we teach urban kids where (their food is) coming from if we don’t have somebody to pass on the message? And if the messenger doesn’t know the message, it’s pretty hard for them to pass it on.”
Spagrud said the next step is bringing students on similar tours.
Agriculture in the Classroom is a nonprofit, charitable organization that works with the farming industry to put agriculture resource information into the hands of teachers.
While it has made great strides in providing this information since its inception in 1994, teachers feel their classrooms could do with even more.
“There’s hardly any emphasis put on agriculture, and yet that’s the backbone of our entire province,” Tennet said.
