Fisheries and Aquaculture
June 23, 2015

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Vaughn Granter, Minister Responsible for the Forestry and Agrifoods Agency:

Giving Students Hands-On Agriculture Experience

I rise to highlight the ongoing work of the Agriculture in the Classroom and Little Green Thumbs Programs in providing hands-on agricultural learning experiences to students throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Since 2010, the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture, through the Agriculture in the Classroom Program, has been helping to increase interest in agriculture among children throughout the province by bringing schools to farms and farming activities into the classroom.

The aim of the program is to provide teachers and students with educational resources and programs that promote agriculture as an important contributor to the economy and our everyday life. Through the federal-provincial Growing Forward 2 Program, $280,000 has been provided to help support this program in Newfoundland and Labrador for 2015-16.

One of the programs managed by Agriculture in the Classroom is Little Green Thumbs, a national program which aims to instill in young people, the value of their own health, as well as that of their community and the environment, through active participation in a classroom garden. These indoor gardens complement learning concepts such as where food comes from, how to grow healthy plants, sustainable food systems, community interdependence and nutrition in fun, interesting and relevant ways.

It also serves to familiarize school-aged children with the agriculture industry in this province and helps to develop lifelong values of environmental stewardship and awareness of how people can positively interact with their surroundings.

I was honoured to attend the launch of the Little Green Thumbs song last Thursday, at Lester’s Farm Chalet on Pearltown Road in St. John’s, with Grade 3 students and teachers from St. Mary’s and Hazelwood Elementary Schools. The enthusiasm and pride in the room was clearly evident as these young students celebrated their achievements and launched the new song for the program which was performed by Shelley Bean and the Duckety Muds.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to say that since the Little Green Thumbs Program came to this province in 2010, the number of classrooms participating has grown to 72 providing hands-on learning experience for approximately 1,800 students. This is indeed a worthwhile program and our government is proud to support it.

I ask all members to join me in congratulating the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Agriculture, students and teachers, employees of the Forestry and Agrifoods Agency’s Agrifoods Development Branch and everyone involved in making the Agriculture in the Classroom and Little Green Thumbs Programs such successes.

2015 06 23                            1:55 p.m.