Agriculture in the City

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.

Planning has begun for our next event in March 2012 in Downtown Winnipeg. Once again, we will be bringing the vibrant and innovative world of agriculture to Winnipeg’s meeting place, the historic Forks Market. Once upon a time most Canadians lived on farms. 100 years ago a farmer would produce enough food to feed 10 people. Now, a farmer can feed over 120 people. Urbanites buy most of their food from the store but can they link it back to the farm? Come visit us at Agriculture in the City –  you can narrow the gap between the farm and your fork.

Discover what goes into making our food delicious,  safe and sustainable…and so much more.

Kids can play interactive games and see where milk comes from and adults can meet local farmers,  find new recipes or learn about food safety.

Agriculture isn’t only about food. So many everyday products have links to the farm,  from car parts to medicine.

Find out what innovations are happening now,  and how much we depend on a clean,  healthy environment for our future.

Canada’s most vibrant industry is open for you to discover,  March 16-18 at The Forks Market.
We look forward to seeing you at Discover Agriculture in the City in March 2012.

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 Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Agriculture in the Classroom, Keystone Agricultural Producers, the University of Manitoba, Manitoba Eggs Producers, Manitoba Pork Council, Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council, Manitoba Beef Producers, Dairy Farmers of Manitoba and Manitoba Canola Growers.

Ag in the City arrived in Burlington, Ontario October 1 to 2, 2011 for a FREE family oriented, urban festival that offered a chance to explore and discover the vibrant and innovative world of agriculture and food.

This year’s Agriculture in the City featured:

• Interactive displays from farm organizations

• Cooking demonstrations by chefs

• Giveaways and prizes

• Presentations by farmers, scientists and food-aficionados

Event Hours:

Saturday October 1: 9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Sunday October 2: 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

For more information, please visit Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Follow Ag in the City on Twitter and get the latest details on our Agriculture in the City event at The Forks and other information and news related to agriculture awareness.

Join our Facebook group to learn what is happening in the innovative world of agriculture. Our Facebook page features news, links and videos from Manitoba and beyond. Help spread the word of the Agriculture in the City – Manitoba Facebook page by clicking the “Like” button at the top of the group page.

Find out how agriculture impacts our daily lives through food safety, science and innovation, and the environment and stay informed by following us on Facebook and Twitter.