By Olivia Taylor for the Irish Loop Post
Students at St. Bernard’s School in Witless Bay spent part of March digging into where their
food comes from as Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month marked its 15th year.
The nationwide program connects students with agriculture through hands-on learning, bringing farmers and industry professionals into classrooms. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the initiative is led by Agriculture in the Classroom NL, which works with teachers to deliver curriculum-linked activities and resources.
At St. Bernard’s, the month was marked with a full day of programming that reached every
classroom.
“We made a big day out of it,” said Chelsea Foley, the province’s Agriculture in the Classroom coordinator. “We packed up all our things, got a bunch of volunteers, and went out and did different presentations with kindergartens right up to Grade 4.”
The sessions were designed to match each grade level. Younger students planted seeds in small bags to create “living necklaces,” allowing them to watch roots and stems grow over time. Older students explored plant nutrients by making bracelets that represented nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, while others worked through activities linking everyday foods to their agricultural sources.
For assistant principal Lillian Regular, hands-on learning is central to the program.
“It’s not best learned when you’re just reading it in a textbook,” she said. “It’s meant to get your hands dirty and engage in a meaningful way.”
Regular, who is in her first year at the school after moving from St. Matthew’s School in St. John’s, has been heavily involved with Agriculture in the Classroom programming.
St. Bernard’s already had a strong foundation, with classroom gardens and a growing focus on sustainability.
“We wanted presenters at every grade level,” she said. “We made it happen so every
classroom could take part in a hands-on way.”
Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month began as a week-long event but has since expanded as participation grew across the country. This year’s anniversary included a new educational storybook and local landmarks lit up in green such as the Confederation Building.
Foley said the program helps students better understand where their food comes from.
“A lot of people don’t think about that,” she said. “If you ask someone where a carrot comes from, they might say the grocery store. We’re trying to change that perception.”
Foley said feedback from teachers has been positive, with students continuing to talk about the visits and showing more interest in topics like composting, gardening and healthy eating.
At St. Bernard’s, Regular said the activities helped students connect what they learned in
class to their everyday lives.
“They would be able to go home and tell their families what they learned,” she said. “It takes what they’ve learned and brings it to another level.”
As the school looks ahead to spring, plans are already underway to expand its garden and continue building on the momentum from March.
For Regular, the focus is on creating opportunities that last beyond a single visit.
“We’re wanting to expose them to as many different types of learning as possible,” she said, adding “it’s about planting the seed early and seeing where it grows.”
