AITC Canada Resource Listing

Your Discovery Guide for Careers in Agriculture and Food.

Tour a farm or processing facility from the comfort of your couch! FarmFood360° is a series of virtual farm and processing facility tours throughout Canada. Students can test their knowledge at the end of each tour.

AgScape offers curriculum-linked programs and resources that help students explore agriculture and food. From virtual field trips to classroom activities and guest speakers, our tools support engaging, hands-on learning for all grade levels.

The #MyFoodChoice resource is an inquiry based resource where students will lead their own research, to answer the question of "How can I make informed food choices?" Through the five lessons students will develop critical thinking skills by utilizing interactive student sheets, engaging videos, and more.

This resource allows for grade 7-12 students to explore and learn about Ontario's aquaculture industry, potential careers available as well as how to start an aquaculture business. What is fish farming, why is it important and how are fish produced? Learn more about Aquaculture in Ontario with this Teacher Guide that was designed with the support of and in collaboration with the Ontario Aquaculture Association.

In the trailer episode of Feeding Innovation podcast, we interview- ourselves! Host Jordan Sloggett talks to AgScape Executive Director Taylor Selig about our vision for this podcast, why we're choosing to launch a show that interviews innovators in the world of agriculture and food education.

In the first episode of the AgScape Feeding Innovation Podcast, we talk to teacher and professional chef Tristan Hertzog. Tristan shares his passion for imparting the importance of understanding where your ingredients come from, and how that understanding makes his students better chefs, and more informed participants in Ontario's food system.

In the second episode of the AgScape Feeding Innovation Podcast, we talk to Chef and Educator Katherine Jones of Growing Chefs Ontario. Katherine talks about how Growing Chefs Ontario is changing the way we learn about and develop healthy relationships with food. Growing Chefs! Ontario is a registered charity based in London, Ontario that unites chefs, growers, educators and community members in children’s food education projects.

In this episode of Feeding Innovation Podcast, we speak to Agriculture Writer Kaitlin Packer. Kaitlin shares about her experience of realizing that writing was her passion, and discovering a creative career in agriculture and farming was for her. We also talk about how opinions around food and agriculture differ between rural and urban communities. How emerging technologies like social media can both be a bridge, and widen that gap, depending on how they're used.

Randy Swain, Ontario Teacher joins us this episode to talk about how he built a unique, experiential learning agriculture & food based program at his school. He explains how teachers can take advantage of grant opportunities and collaborate to build similar programs. Randy has been teaching for 16 years, and started the Food For Thought Program 8 years ago.

In this week’s episode of Feeding Innovation, we are talking to Perry Wilson, Vice President of Farm Credit Canada. Perry is here to discuss the creation of FCC’s Agriculture More Than Ever Program and all things agriculture education. Unlike many people that come to work for FCC, Perry started out in the automotive industry before changing directions. Initially, he obtained a degree in Metallurgical Engineering. After a while, he went back to school and studied business. By working for an agricultural lender for 3 years, he landed a role at FCC. FCC is an institution wholly dedicated to agricultural businesses while others have departments that specialize in it. Agriculture More Than Ever is a program that Perry has been heavily involved in since its inception. It has been designed to change perceptions of the Canadian agriculture industry and highlight its importance and multi-faceted nature. Canada is a leading agricultural producer in the world, but needs to take further advantage of opportunities within the country. The industry needs new, innovative people to re-invigorate it. The tech sector is creating more and more opportunities within agriculture and it’s often something people don’t consider. Agriculture is a complex industry. Markets, weather, disease, and regulatory issues all affect how the industry runs. Not to mention unforeseen things like a global pandemic. Today, there are fewer farmers, and overcoming barriers is essential to continue to grow the industry. Foster curiosity in yourself and your community.

Joining us on Feeding Innovation this week is Madeline Rodrigue who, at the time of this interview, worked at Farm & Food Care Ontario. Madeline speaks to their mission at Farm & Food Care Ontario, what they're doing to accomplish that mission, as well as some of the joint programs AgScape and Farm & Food Care Ontario work on together. Madeline discusses her education and her career experiences that led her to Farm & Food Care Ontario. We also talk about our organizations shared goals of bridging rural and urban communities together, so that everyone has a connection and understanding to our food, and the people who grow it.

This episode of the Feeding Innovation podcast we're speaking to Nigel Carlisle -an Ontario Secondary school teacher living in Cornwall, Ontario. A few weeks after recording this conversation, Nigel was the recipient of the Award for Teaching Excellence in Agriculture and Food Education. Nigel discusses the creative and unique ways he incorporates teaching agriculture and food into his classes including a green industry and technology. His goal as an educator is to make an impact on how lessons are taught, encouraging hands-on experience over tests and textbooks. This past school year, Nigel brought robotics into his lessons. Automation and robotics is a booming innovation that the food and agriculture sector is exploring. To demonstrate that to his students and create awareness, Nigel took a unique approach in combining classroom robotics with modern farming, creating lessons that built a buzz in his students that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. If you're an educator looking to bring similar activities and lessons to your classrooms, Nigel shares advice and steps to follow. For Nigel, this kind of learning is undoubtedly the future, as kids are already learning computer code on their own time, and it is increasingly incorporated into curriculums.

In today’s episode we sit down with Owen Roberts, an instructor and faculty member at the University of Illinois in the Agricultural Leadership and Communications Program. Owen joins us to discuss his career and why communication is key in agriculture. Growing up in Mitchell’s Bay, Owen’s father was a conservation officer, and his mother’s family were farmers. The town was a renowned hunting and fishing spot, and his family would sell their produce there. He worked on farms in the area and saw the produce side of the industry close up. From there, he studied journalism in university and bounced around the country working for different papers. When an opportunity came up to work in the agriculture section of an Alberta paper, he was hesitant, but it turned out to be a goldmine of stories. Agricultural research was booming and he went on to write for the University of Guelph, communicating about the research that was underway. It went from a 1-year contract to a 33-year career. In this conversation we touch on many subjects, including how the pandemic has opened the publics’ eyes to the complexities of the food supply chain and inflation. The agriculture sector is full of great stories and it is necessary to get those stories out there in a way that connects with the public.

Joining us on this episode is Darren Anderson, who is co-founder and CEO of Vive Crop Protection. Darren talks to us about his path from science to agriculture and biotech business owner, and how students can prepare for a career in entrepreneurship. Vive Crop Protection makes more sustainable and effective pesticides for growers, enabling them to get the best results from the products they use. Darren wasn’t always on the path to agriculture and entrepreneurship, but while at university he was influenced by speakers at his school who would come and discuss how they used their science background for entrepreneurship. The most important thing is to not be afraid of failure. Failure is the only way to learn. To help spread this message, Darren began a tutoring business to aid students. As a business owner, Darren does need to hire, and he needs to hire people with a wide range of skills. Chemists in different specializations, regulatory scientists, and safety personnel are all sought-after roles that wouldn’t normally be thought of. Darren talks about the value of failure in building a career, building teams and the skillsets those teams need, and the soft people skills essential to running a modern company.

Joining us on this episode is Mike Schreiner, the Leader of the Green Party of Ontario and a member of the Provincial Parliament for Guelph. Mike is here not to talk politics, but to discuss his lifelong passion for food and agriculture. Before politics, Mike was an entrepreneur and advocate for the local food movement. Mike grew up on a cash crop farm, raising crops and cattle. He worked from 7 am to 7 pm almost every day, and to entertain himself he would practice political speeches by himself. This led to a lifelong interest in politics and brought him to the Green Party, along with his food-based entrepreneurship. He wanted to help build the sustainable food movement in Ontario and knew policy change could only come from within. Since he began his political journey, the perception of food and agriculture has shifted. Mike wants to spread the connection between farmers and consumers. There’s a greater appreciation for where food comes from and how it’s produced. Social media, for all its downsides, is a great tool for farmers and producers to show people how their environments operate. When it comes to bridging the rural/urban divide, a leader can help by educating. It’s about communicating why some farmers do things one way over the other and what the market needs. Even during the pandemic, projects like backyard gardens and community gardens were valuable tools to educate. It’s also important to publicize the loss of farmland and how important it is to protect it. With the disappearance of farmland comes food shortages and price increases. It’s something that needs to be preserved.

Joining us on this episode is Graham Hill from the non-profit Food for Life. The organization’s mission is to rescue food, impact lives, and give everyone access to healthy food. They aim to cut food waste, and Graham is here to discuss his career pathway and the organization's work to rescue and distribute fresh food to neighbours in need through community partnerships. Graham has a varied background, initially being a scuba diving instructor. He then became involved in charity before going to school to obtain a post-grad degree in Fundraising and Volunteer management. After working for various organizations involved with health, he came to work at the food bank, which evolved into his role at Food for Life. Staying true to your values is essential to working in the non-profit sector. Sometimes it means stepping out of your comfort zone to grow. For Graham, he wanted to create an impact on the world. What problems do you want to solve? Look for a culture that fits you. Billions of dollars worth of food go to waste every year. There is unavoidable food waste and avoidable food waste. Avoidable waste comes about with things like expiry dates, slightly misshapen, or discolored vegetables. Food for Life takes food that’s rejected and picks it up, sharing it with other charities and people. Just this last year they rescued 5 million pounds of food. If you are considering working for a non-profit but aren’t sure in what capacity, there are many aspects to an organization, from transport to accounting, and a wide range of skills are in demand. When it comes to the effects of the pandemic, it’s clear that it had a huge impact on organizations and recipients in the sector. Accessibility is key as life evolves.

Would you like to know about all the programs and resources AgScape has to offer? This document summarizes what we offer, where it can be located, what Specialist High Skills Major Program it relates to, as well as our many career-type related programs and resources.

These infographics will help students discover the various crops and livestock that are grown in Canada, define arable land and the various types of soil in Ontario as well as help students discover government influences on agriculture at all 3 levels. They will also help students learn about inputs that improve production, and the effect of climate on what we grow and food distribution.

Touching on various subject areas from health and physical education to social studies, science, careers, and technology this resource aims to provide an overview of the practices involved in the production of Beef in Ontario from farm to table.

This Teacher's Guide, for grades 7-12, allows students and teachers to explore the world of genomics in agriculture and food. Teachers can use the Teacher's Guide to expand their knowledge of genomics, then couple that with 3 interactive lesson plans that use coding, experiments, Ontario-focused case studies, career exploration and much more. These lesson plans also help students understand genomics in agriculture and food related to the context of animal welfare, food security and climate change. Pair this teachers's guide with a recording of a live event with Michael Dorrington, a geneticist at Ontario Genomics.

These infographics provide an introduction to the elements of responsible animal care, statistics about livestock farming in Canada, and the methods used to keep farm animals healthy.

In collaboration with Farm & Food Care Ontario, this is a compilation of commonly asked questions, answers and facts related to beekeeping.

Before the Plate is a documentary that attempts to close the gap between the urban consumer and farming in Canada. Follow young farmers and industry experts to learn what a modern Canadian farm operation looks like, and discuss the most pressing questions consumers have about their food. Be sure to check out the comprehensive, curriculum-linked Student Guide we have created to supplement the viewing of this documentary.

This resource takes a closer look at bioenergy in the agri-food sector and provides information on career opportunities and post-secondary education programs related to the industry. Suggested student activities link to curriculum in Chemistry, Biology, Environmental Science, Science and Green Industries.

These infographics provide definitions of plant biotechnology and explores the research and assessment required to get a genetically engineered crop to market. Also included are stories, controversies, and breakthroughs in biotechnology.

This resource is the inaugural edition of the AgScape Bridge to Business program. Through this program, leading edge business publications are translated into valuable activities for Ontario students. As youth approach the end of high school, it is important for them to be familiar with the world of business and the pertinent social issues which relate to our society, economy and environment. OAFE Bridge to Business focuses on issues beyond the classroom and provides “real world connections for students”.

This is the second Volume of the Bridge to Business series. The topic of focus is Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Four lessons encourage students in Grades 9 to 12 to think critically about GMOs and their relationship with environment, social factors, food security and consumer choice. Each lesson examines content from www.BestFoodFacts.org and http://allaboutfood.aitc.ca. Links to Science & Technology and Food & Nutrition courses.

These infographics will allows students to explore agriculture and food from a business perspective. Students will learn about four different types of businesses along with 4 different types of economic business sectors.

This resource has been developed as a teaching tool for grades 11 and 12 covering careers related to the agri-food industry. It is linked to the Ontario Math and Business Curriculum.