Canola Learning Centre Report 2005

              The 2005 season of the Canola Learning Centre brought rain, mud and mosquitoes.  Constant rain early in the season kept the machinery out of the fields making seeding late or non-existent in some areas.  This same rain made a mud hole of what was supposed to be our vegetable garden and allowed the mosquitoes to thrive.  At the same time, despite all the rain, the Canola Learning Centre program thrived seeing 910 participants coming out to the farm.  With almost bare fields, the CLC went indoors and spent time in the newly renovated classroom at Kelburn Farm.  The new classroom was the perfect place for students, daycare children, and educators to take part in fun activities like the canola crush, seed puzzles, food to seed matching games, and more.  Covered with bug spray most groups did venture outside where they played games, examined plants, looked at machinery, caught bugs, and toured the farm. 

The Canola Learning Centre also hit the road in 2005.  Activities were run in conjunction with the Amazing Agriculture Adventure programs run by Agriculture in the Classroom Manitoba in both Brandon and Winnipeg.  These program saw a total of 1600 students from grades 4 to 6.  Students toured 18 mini-stations including the canola crush station, food web station featuring canola and other commodities, and our new “Canola is People” learning activity.  During lunch break students were able to experience a live auction, where one representative from each class bid on canola cookies sponsored by the Manitoba Canola Growers Association using a set amount of play money.  The Red River Exhibition was another stop for the traveling Canola Learning Centre this year.  Ten days were spent at the exhibition where hands on activities were an integral part of the educational display promoting canola oil and agriculture to both consumers and children. 

This year marked the 9th year of the Canola Learning Centre and plans are already underway for the 10th.  The Canola Learning Centre looks forward to having plenty of visitors out to Kelburn Farm and once again hitting the road to work with students and consumers in 2006.  Hope to see you there!