(November 27, 2006) – Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and Agriculture in the Classroom- Manitoba Inc. (AITC-M) is serving it up. 

In partnership with many great sponsors, AITC-M begins hitting the road this week to feed students in three different schools across the province. The menu will feature only locally grown products for a completely ‘Made in Manitoba Breakfast’.   Rivers Collegiate, Morden Ecole Middle School and Earl Grey School in Winnipeg are the three stops coming up between December 1st and December 5th. 

 The Made in Manitoba Breakfast menu consists of Manitoba products—eggs, flax pancake mix, milk, canola margarine, pork sausage and maple syrup. The breakfast will be served by local producers so students are able to associate a local face with the foods they eat. 

In addition to serving breakfast, representatives from Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba Inc will also serve an educational message about agriculture. The menu will be supplemented with some fun, interactive learning activities which link Manitoba farms to the food students eat. Students will also learn why the agriculture industry and farmers are so important to our province and our economy.

December 1st Made in Manitoba Breakfast will be held at Rivers Collegiate where students from both the collegiate and the elementary schools will be fd.  This event is sponsored by the Westoba Credit Union with support from the Rivers Women’s Institute.   The breakfast at Morden Ecole Middle School will be held on December 4th thanks to sponsorship from Farm Credit Canada, Canadian Association of Farm Advisors, Greenvalley Equipment Inc., BDO Dunwoody LLP, and Agassiz Credit Union. Finally Earl Grey School students will be fed on December 5th. Support for all of these events is also provided by the Manitoba Canola Growers Association, The Dairy Farmers of Manitoba, the Manitoba Pork Council, Countryside Farms, other producers and commodity groups.

“Getting involved in elementary schools and helping students understand the importance of agriculture in their daily lives is what the Agriculture in the Classroom program is all about,” said Johanne Ross, executive director of Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba. “Most kids living in urban centres have very little knowledge of how their food is produced and the vital role farmers play in making sure they have food to eat.”

Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba Inc. is a non-profit organization supported by individuals and the agriculture industry.  Its mandate is to heighten the awareness and importance of agriculture in Manitoba schools. 

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Media are invited to attend these events.  Please contact us to make arrangements.

For more information, please contact:

Johanne Ross - Executive Director

Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba Inc.

(866) 487-4029

(204) 867-0437 (cell)

johanne@aitc.mb.ca