Agricultural for Life offers 101 program for MCHS Students

Maria Champagne Rural and Farm Safety Specialist speaking on the Chemical Look-Alike

by Lucie Roy

More than 180 Morinville Community High School (MCHS) students took part in the Agriculture (Ag) for Life 101 event held on Monday at Morinville Community Cultural Centre and the school music room.

The new mobile Ag for Life’s Rural Safety Unit was in Morinville for the first time.

Launched in April 2018 it will travel across Alberta to rural schools, fairs and other events to educate, encourage and promote safety.

The Mobile unit has a series of activities where students learned about hazards and how to mitigate risks in rural environments.

This included proper container awareness and proper labels. The Chemical Wall displayed many chemicals and their likeness to the colour or shape of food or drinks, such as the blue Gatorade and the same colour of windshield washer fluid.

The Proper Protective Equipment (PPE) with a focus on respirators and the Utility Wall covered overhead power lines, digging and other hazards.

The Unit had seven interactive hands-on stations which covered Hazard identification, Large Animals, Large Equipment, Risk Assessment, Chemicals, and Protective Equipment.

MCHS Teacher Neil Korotash said this opportunity was open to all students from Grade 10-12 to teach as many students as they could about agricultural topics.

Korotash said there were eight stations, the Mobile Unit being one of those eight, with stations in the MCCC and one at the school.

One station was Daria Taylor of Alberta Milk who discussed milk production, innovations in dairy, robotic and voluntary milking systems, sustainability, animal welfare and the students made butter in a small jar.

Other stations included Cows and Fish a fun presentation on healthy riparian areas near cattle ranches and diary farms, an interactive presentation and activities around plant breeding, GM Crops and pesticides, Alberta Pulse Producers, Alberta Canola and educational paths in Agriculture with University of Alberta.

Inside the Ag for Life’s all-new Rural Safety Unit Rural and Farm Safety Specialist Maria Champagne was speaking to a group of students. Standing to the far left is student Cheyenne Dunn looking at the wall display.

Daria Taylor of Alberta Milk speaking to the students as they shake the jars to make butter.

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