There will be a Kids in the Kitchen activity happening at Ag in the City on Saturday, March 16 at 11:00 am.

Kids in the Kitchen is a hands-on cooking and nutrition education program for children ages 6 and up. Following a program designed by Manitoba dietitians, each session includes fun educational activities and a chance to prepare and sample a healthy recipe. Children also learn food safety and kitchen safety while sharing in the cooking and cleanup.

Manitoba Canola Growers Association has launched the My Be Well Story contest which runs until April 5, 2013. They want your help finding the next “My Be Well Story” so vote today:

Three Manitobans were chosen to share their stories by video to kick off the contest. These people will also be speaking at Ag in the City this year:

Farmer, Doug Chorney

The Selkirk area farmer has a long family history in agriculture. With over 100 years of continual operation, their main focus is sustainability. See Doug’s story.

Local Fruit Share Founder, Getty Stewart

Getty brought a volunteer operated, community based fruit sharing program to life in Winnipeg. Thousands of pounds of fruit go to wasteeach year in Winnipeg and she knew that there was a better way.
See Getty’s story.

Chef Mary Jane Feeke

As owner and Chef of Benjamin’s Gourmet Foods in Selkirk, she believes there is so much more to our food than vitamins and calories it gives us. She sees the memories and emotions that are created when people share a meal together.
See Mary Jane’s story.

We’re back!

Discover Agriculture in the City returns for another year to the heart of Winnipeg Friday, March 15 to Sunday, March 17 at the Forks Market.

This free, three-day event offers a rich, colourful glimpse inside one of Canada’s most vibrant industries through interactive exhibits, presentations, activities and cooking demonstrations. Discover the impact agriculture has on our daily lives.

The weekend will feature sights and sensations for everyone seeking to learn about the food we eat and the industry that brings it to your plate. Innovation, environmental sustainability and food safety play a huge role in modern agriculture, and that’s just the beginning.

There is something for all ages. The kids can take part in the Kids in the Kitchen activitiy, the Veg-athlon and other interactive activities. The adults can meet and talk to local farmers, discover new recipes, learn about the science and innovation in agriculture and attend our cooking demonstrations.

CJOB will be broadcasting live on location on Friday from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm, Virgin Radio on Saturday from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm and Virgin’s own Ace Burpee will be on location Saturday from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. Ace will also be participating in our main stage activities, including a live cooking demonstration.

Main stage activities will include a student speaking competition on agriculture, and Food Fight at the Forks – U of M Edition on Friday, a University of Manitoba event in which 10 groups of food science students will showcase their newly developed food products to a panel of judges.

The Food Fight at the Forks – U of M edition – took place March 16 at the Forks as part of the Discover Agriculture in the City weekend. Ten teams made up of students from Food Science and Human Nutritional Sciences competed with such diverse food products as gluten-free chicken wings, black bean brownies, probiotic cream cheese and a coffee-flavored cheese spread.

The winning team, which included Walid Bahanshal, Andrea Cumbers, Evelyn Cruz Gochez and Lifan Song, impressed the judges with their “Veggie Samosa Burger”, a meatless patty with the flavoring of a spicy Indian samosa. The judges praised the teams on their consideration of health qualities, innovative ingredients, unique packaging and marketing opportunities, and provided them with valuable suggestions for further development of their products.

The students created the products for the University of Manitoba’s food product development course taught by Gary Fulcher, Food Science. A big thanks to Gary and his class for their enthusiastic participation, and to everyone that made the day such a great success, including emcee Lorrie Koroscil and judges Judy Wilson, Doug Speirs and Dave Shambrock.

Discover Agriculture in the City returns for a seventh year to the heart of Winnipeg Friday, March 16 to Sunday, March 18 at the historic Forks Market.

This free, three-day event offers a rich, colourful glimpse inside one of Canada’s most vibrant industries through interactive exhibits, presentations, activities and cooking demonstrations. Discover the impact agriculture has on our daily lives.

The weekend will feature sights and sensations for everyone seeking to learn about the food we eat and the industry that brings it to your plate. Innovation, environmental sustainability and food safety play a huge role in modern agriculture, and that’s just the beginning.

Kids can interact with life-sized model farm animals, experience a taste of the farm with the Ag on the MOOve display, and check out the bio-diesel van from the Canadian International Grains Institute (CIGI).

Adults can meet and talk to local farmers, discover new recipes, learn about the science and innovation in agriculture and attend our cooking demonstrations.

CJOB will be broadcasting live on location on Friday from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm and Ace Burpee and the HOT 103 crew will be on location Saturday from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. Ace will also be participating in our main stage activities, including a live cooking demonstration.

Main stage activities will include a student’s debate on modern agriculture and Food Fight at the Forks – U of M Edition on Friday, a University of Manitoba event in which 10 groups of food science students will showcase their newly developed food products to a panel of judges.

An energetic group of young Winnipeg debaters will kick off Discover Agriculture in the City at the Forks Market in Winnipeg on Friday, March 16th at 9:30am. Discover Ag in the City gives the opportunity for students and adults alike to connect with agricultural representatives from across the industry. From the farm gate to the products they eat and use everyday, they will learn that Agriculture is all around you! Living in the city may feel a long way from the farm, but every day we eat, wear, drive, or touch a piece of agriculture.

The big event during the Friday morning kickoff will be a High School Show Debate. Student teams from Grey Academy and St. Mary’s Academy will debate that “Bio Fuels will be the way to a sustainable future”.  The debate will take place immediately after the opening ceremonies at 9:30am. Les Kletke will moderate what promises to be a fast paced and informative activity that will see four students squaring off against each other regarding the benefits and threats of Bio Fuels. All are welcome to attend.

Over 30 students from Winnipeg high schools will form the judging panel. Students will vote by applause to identify the team that presented the best vision for their future and declare a winner.

Following the debate the students will take part in a Discover Agriculture  Adventure. Students will work their way through the agriculture booths on display answering questions and gathering clues. Once they have gathered all of the clues they will work to decode the answer and quickly text it in to win great prizes.

“Agriculture in the Classroom – Manitoba is dedicated to cultivating an interest in agriculture. This is easy as agriculture is such an integral part of Manitoba’s culture and an important part of everyday life.” says executive director Johanne Ross. “We enjoy engaging students through interactive, hands-on experiences that get them up close and personal with agriculture. The debate will bring a unique perspective and should be very informative and a lot of fun! We are thrilled to play a strong role at the Agriculture in the City event in Winnipeg.”

This year’s Ag in the City is featuring a new and exciting display called “Ag on the MOOve”. This farm fun activities area is designed for the young and young at heart who want to learn where their food comes from. The activities will include such things as picking apples from trees, ‘milking’ a cow, finding where you favourite foods come from and more. Ideal for ages 2 – 12 this area will be fun and hands on for the young farmer in your family.

Developed by the Manitoba Association of Agricultural Societies, and sponsored by the Red River Exhibition Association, these activities are part of a trailer that will be seen at a number of rural events throughout the summer. Pick up a copy of the Manitoba Fair Guide to see what is happening around the province and plan to visit a fair or exhibition this year.

Have you ever had a great idea for new food product? Maybe the next innovative snack food, sports drink or breakfast cereal?

Join us at noon on Friday, March 16, to witness the University of Manitoba Food Science students present their new food product concepts that they have taken from drawing board to test kitchen.

Ten student teams will “pitch” their product ideas and provide a product sample to a panel of judges, consisting of: Judy Wilson, Asper School of Business; Dave Shambrock, Manitoba Food Processors Association; and Doug Speirs, The Winnipeg Free Press. The winning team will get a great prize and you will get the opportunity to cheer on your favourites!  These unique products may appear in your local supermarket near you one day!

We are just over a week away from the main event and all of our participants are working hard preparing for Ag in the City 2012. We are excited by the some of the new activity areas that we will be introducing this year and are thrilled with the main stage lineup we have put together for Centre Court.

Check out the activity schedule!

On March 16-18, 2012 at The Forks Market will once again be bustling with the sights, sounds and tastes of the vibrant and innovative world of agriculture. Ag in the City has so much to offer this year – 26 exhibitors, interactive displays, cooking demonstrations, game shows, and so much more.

Check out our schedule of events.

For more information, please contact Colin Chudley.

This event is sponsored and organized by a committee of stakeholders from the Manitoba agriculture industry, including: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in partnership with Manitoba Agricultre, Food and Rural Initiatives, Agriculture in the Classroom, Keystone Agricultural Producers, the University of Manitoba, the Manitoba Eggs Producers, the Manitoba Pork Council, Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council and the Manitoba Canola Growers.