Throughout 2023, with the help of our partners, we'll be taking a closer look at Manitoba’s foundational agriculture commodities and the people who produce the food we eat. November 20-24 is Pork Week!
Teachers, follow along on our social media for:
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Fun facts about how farmers raise hogs and produce pork sustainably in Manitoba
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Profile of a veterinarian who works with hogs
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AITC-M Connections to pork through our classroom programs and resources, and professional development opportunities for educators
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Our Pork Week Partner
Thank you to Manitoba Pork for your support of Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba. Your generosity makes Pork Week possible.
Manitoba Pork represents over 600 hog farms across Manitoba. Its members spend their lives producing safe and nutritious food, while caring for their livestock, protecting the environment, promoting public health and contributing to healthy and vibrant Manitoba communities. Acting as an advocate, educator, and resource for the hog sector and the general public, Manitoba Pork fosters sustainability and prosperity throughout the pork sector for the good of all Manitobans.
Manitoba’s hog farmers have a passion for farming. Food security is important to everyone, and we work hard to supply a nutrient-rich and affordable protein that is sustainably and humanely produced. The ever-increasing demand for wholesome, high-quality Manitoba pork has played a significant economic and social role in the province, creating jobs, building communities, and supporting sustainable food security programs.
Agriculture literacy matters to Manitoba Pork
Agriculture education is important to Manitoba hog farmers. They love to tell their story while building confidence in pork and the pork sector. Most Canadians are many generations removed from farming and don’t personally know a farmer. Building agricultural literacy through agriculture education gives people the opportunity to discover where their food comes from and empowers them to think critically. And it opens their eyes to the amazing job opportunities available in the agri-food sector. For example, Manitoba’s hog sector employs over 22,000 people, representing 55% of all agri-food sector jobs in the province!
AITC-M Connections
Our pork-themed programs and resources can help bring your curriculum to life across a range of subjects. From science, technology and nutrition to history, careers and the environment, there's no limit to the ways hogs and pork production can enhance your lessons.
Manitoba Pork Educational Videos
Grades 4, 10 and 12: Watch these six two-minute videos to learn more about the environmental, social, and economic aspects of sustainably farming pigs, as well as animal welfare practices and the use of technology on a pig farm.
Explore the videos
Follow the Hog Farmers Farm Tour
Grade 4: Tour two Manitoba hog farms without leaving the classroom! Your students will learn how Andrea Elias and Craig Sawatzky provide their hogs with suitable food and shelter, and use technology to monitor their animals’ health and well-being. You’ll also hear about careers involved in producing sustainable, safe, and nutritious pork. The Livestream recording includes the video and a Q&A with Andrea and Craig.
Explore the resource
Exploring Sustainability in the Manitoba Pork Industry
Grades 4 to 6: Students can use their video analysis skills to help gather and critically think about the information shared in Manitoba Pork educational videos. Then, using the Share the Knowledge worksheet, students can choose to present it, write it, draw it, or gamify it to inform others about what they have learned.
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Eat Well: Exploring Canada's Food Guide
Grades 5 to 8: Interactive lessons, display materials and playing cards designed to help students explore Canada’s Food Guide for healthy eating – including foods from pork!
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Foundations of Manitoba Agriculture
Grades K to 12: A series of interactive courses and information sheets that explore the different crops grown and animals raised in Manitoba, including pork.
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Pork Word Search
Grades 3 to 8: No other animal provides us with a wider range of products than the pig. Find the everyday products made with the help of pig by-products.
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Food Inc.: An Alternate View
Grades 9 to 12: If you are showing your students the film Food Inc., here are some resources to explore different viewpoints, encourage critical thinking, foster media literacy and stimulate discussion in the classroom.
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Additional Resources from Manitoba Pork
Careers
Nutrition
Environment
Meet Our Pork Expert
Dr. Jewel White is a veterinarian who specializes in caring for pigs. Find out more about the work she does on our blog, or watch the video below, where she answers questions about pigs submitted by students.
Check out our video interview with Dr. Jewel where she answers questions submitted by students: