EXTENSION PROGRAM GROWS INTEREST IN AGRICULTURE

KAMLOOPS – Sixteen post-secondary students from across the province will get hands-on experience in the field of agriculture this summer, participating in the 2008 Summer Extension Assistance Program, announced Pat Bell, Minister of Agriculture and Lands.

“From climate change impacts to marketing, we are seeing unprecedented changes in the agricultural sector,” said Minister Bell. “Through a program that puts students in direct contact with food producers and industry experts, we are better able to transfer knowledge between generations, build on innovation, and ensure a brighter future for all British Columbians. As our agriculture plan says, we are growing a healthy future for B.C. families and it’s our young people that will have the biggest impact on that future.”

Students will work alongside regional agrologists to support farmers, First Nations, 4-H clubs, fairs, farmers’ markets and other agricultural stakeholders with the delivery of ministry extension programs. From collecting data on farmland values in the Lower Mainland to assessing wildlife damage to crops in the Peace region, the students will participate in a wide variety of activities.

A three-day orientation session in Kamloops wrapped up yesterday and included a day of farm tours along with classroom time. Students will now take up their placements in Smithers, Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Prince George, Williams Lake, Kamloops, Vernon, Abbotsford, 100 Mile House, Kelowna, Oliver, Courtenay, Victoria and Abbotsford.

The programs that the students engage in, including the Summer Extension Assistance Program itself, will directly support strategies laid out in the ministry’s recently released Agriculture Plan, including:

• Strategy 2: Implementation of initiatives to strengthen community food systems.

• Strategy 10: Enhance and coordinate province-wide, invasive plant management.

• Strategy 14: Assist the agriculture industry with human resources, succession planning and new entrants.

• Strategy 15: Strengthen current extension services.

• Strategy 18: Facilitate First Nations participation in agriculture initiatives.

• Strategy 20: Increase awareness and interest in agriculture and food among B.C. youth.

• Strategy 22: Implement strategies to minimize conflict between rural and urban residents.

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1 backgrounder(s) attached.
Media contact:	Liz Bicknell Communications Director Ministry of Agriculture and Lands 250 356-2862 250 213-3072 (cell)

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