The smell of deep frying food filled the warm May air as the much anticipated sixth annual Farm Day @ The Gray got underway on Friday, the 17th of November. The event was the combined effort of a variety of organisations, and aimed to celebrate and inform Colonel Gray students about agriculture, through an array of activities.
One of the largest contributors to the event was Agriculture in the Classroom Prince Edward Island (AITC-PEI), a charity that creates educational tools relating to agriculture. AITC-PEI is a member organisation of Agriculture in the Classroom Canada (AITC-C). The organisation offered students an opportunity to learn about potato cultivation through virtual reality. The VR equipment was courtesy of the PEI Potato Board.
In addition, AITC-PEI partnered with Lexie’s Hobby Farm to bring in pigs and goats for students to pet and observe. In addition to these animals, the ducklings and chicks raised in Ms. McKeigan’s room over the course of several weeks were exhibited; students were permitted to hold the young birds. According to several Colonel Gray students, seeing the animals was a favourite event. Though several birds have been dropped in the past, there were fortunately no such accidents this year. Educational posters provided extra information regarding the critters.
Agriculture and Agri-food Canada also set up a booth, which was manned by a charming gentleman and the esteemed entomologist Dr. Christine Noronha. The booth displayed the department’s research with Colorado Potato Beetles and Wireworms, and showcased the Noronha Elaterid Light Trap (NELT). The trap uses a solar-powered lamp in order to attract female Click Beetles (adult wireworms) into a cup, where they drown. The department also distributed flyers and advertised their summer programs.
Representatives from Dairy Farmers Canada also attended the event, distributing recipes, brochures, and merchandise. The organisation also provided an opportunity for students to milk a mechanical dairy cow, which did not prove to be overly popular.
Free ice cream was also provided by Amalgamated Dairies Ltd., and was very popular, with some students allegedly consuming up to seven cones. Cavendish Farms also sold french fries in support of an unspecified charity.
Written by: Liew Gorman
Photos are from Colonel Gray Instagram Account
Reviewed by: Fiona Le, Arabella Slote, Ariel Wu, Nancy Milton
Published by: Ariel Wu
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