Resources: Career and Technology Studies Grades 10-12: Agriculture

Agriculture

11 Amazing Farms You Haven't Seen Before
Visit innovative farms from around the world to see what the future of agriculture might look like.
Beginning Farmer Guide: Making the Decision to Farm
A guide from the Government of Alberta to help those interested in farming make the best decisions about this career.
Canadian Encyclopedia: Agroforestry
Agroforestry is an intensive land management system that integrates the benefits from biological interactions created when trees or shrubs are intentionally grown with crops or livestock. Learn more about agroforestry in Canada in this article.
Composting for Beginners | A Market Gardener's Guide
This video addresses: compost simplified, compost making for beginners, carbon and nitrogen, carbonaceous materials and nitrogenous materials, leaves, wood chips, compost temperatures, compost turning, and more.
How to Start a Small Farm
In today's video we get into the nuts and bolts of what you should actually do to start a successful farm business.

Animal Husbandry

Becoming an Egg Farmer
Tips on becoming an egg farmer in Alberta from the Egg Farmers Association of Alberta.
Beef Cattle Research Council: Animal Health, Welfare, & Antimicrobial Resistance
Improvements reduce on-farm production costs and losses, maintain access to and effectiveness of veterinary products and improve consumer confidence in Canadian beef production.
Beef Cattle Research Council: Environmental Sustainability
Several articles about how a better understanding of how beef production practices can improve or impact the environment empowers producers to be optimal stewards of their land, demonstrate the environmental benefits of cattle production, and support science-based regulations.
Beef Cattle Research Council: Feed Efficiency & Utilization
Genetic and management improvements that allow feed to be used more efficiently reduces waste, improves the economic competitiveness of the entire beef industry, and contributes to environmental sustainability.
Beef Cattle Research Council: Forage & Grassland Productivity
Improved grassland management, development of annual and perennial forage varieties, and improved yields and nutritional value contribute to the economic and environmental sustainability of Canada’s beef industry.
Beef Cattle Research Council: Reproduction & Calving
Improved reproductive performance and calf survival supports the profitability of the cow-calf sector. Advancements in animal health, feed utilization and forage and grassland productivity also contribute to reproductive and calving success.
Beef Cattle Research Council: Tools & Calculators
These tools can help you make production decisions that suit a specific beef operation. For an optimum user experience, tools are best viewed on a tablet or personal computer.
Elk Farming in Alberta
Logan Dolen with the Alberta Elk Commission talks about what it is like to raise elk in Alberta and how he got into farming such a unique animal.
Facts and Figures about Canadian Goat Farming
A fact sheet that provides a quick overview of the current level of goat production and demand in Canada as well as information about requirements for raising goats.
Goat Farming in Alberta with Mallory & Shaun Kaiser
Shaun and Mallory of The Goat Patch talk about their journey to raising goats and their work with the Alberta Goat Association!
Raising Chickens in Alberta: A Guide for Small Flock Owners
A comprehensive government guide to raising chickens including information on handling, equipment required, and disease prevention.
Sheep and Goat Management in Alberta
A collaborative project between the Alberta Lamb Producers and Alberta Goat Breeders Association has produced these three comprehensive modules on the topics of reproduction, nutrition, and health of sheep and goats in Alberta.
So You Want to be a Goat Farmer – Commercial Meat Goat Farming
Deciding to become a commercial meat goat farmer takes a lot of thought and planning. This fact sheet will help answer some of your questions and guide you in the right direction to learn more.

Business

AgFacts: Agriculture & The Economy
This video from Agriculture Canada gives an overview of the size and scope of Canada's agricultural sector and its importance to Canada's economy.
Canadian Encyclopedia: Agricultural Marketing Board
An article that provides an overview of the function of the 80+ agricultural marketing boards in Canada
Farm Credit Canada : Money & Finance
Resources to help you make the most of your farm finances.
Farm Credit Canada : Transition
Resources to set you up for success in every stage of farm transition.
A Farmer's Guide to Agricultural Credit
A document from the Government of Alberta that explains agricultural loans to potential farmers.
Saving Money, Time and Soil: The Economics of No-Till Farming
A blog post from the US Department of Agriculture about the benefits of no-till farming.

Challenges

Crash Course: Drought and Famine
This video is a lesson about drought, a natural weather phenomenon, and famine, which is almost always the result of human activity. This video is going to teach you about food shortages in the context of the late-19th century famines that struck British India.
Farming the Desert
This 4:30 minute video demonstrates regional farming techniques in West Africa (Burkina Faso) and an individual working with his community to restore soils damaged by drought and reinvent agriculture in the region.
Superfood Chain
Almost every year, the western world is introduced to a new superfood that boasts extraordinary nutritional benefits. The documentary examines its unintended effects this has on food security, health, sustainable farming, and fair-trade food practices.
TED: Are locust plagues unstoppable?
Discover what causes desert locusts to transform into crop-consuming plagues and how they can directly endanger humans.

Cover Crops

Cover Crops: A Secret Weapon for Healthy Soil?
An overview about cover crops contribute to overall soil health.
Cover Crops’ Value Affirmed in Recent Survey
Cover crops can increase soil organic matter and fertility, reduce erosion, improve soil structure, promote water infiltration, and limit pest and disease outbreaks. Many famers receive incentive payments from USDA to plant cover crops, but a new national cover crop survey report released recently challenges assumptions on the role of incentive payments in cover crop adoption.
Fall Planting Cover Crops: For Cold Climates
If you are gardening in a colder zone such as zone 3 - 6 you likely think cover cropping is not possible. Turns out cover cropping is possible when you choose the correct crops. This gardening in Canada video looks at how to cover crops in cold climates.
Grazing Cover Crops: Why Should a Livestock Producer Use Cover Crops?
This video focuses on the why cover crops should be a key part of a grazer’s annual forage chain.
Intro to cover crops: What is a cover crop and how do I choose which one to plant?
A unit plan for teaching students about the benefits of cover crops and how to choose the right cover crops for their farms.
SARE Outreach: Cover Crop Innovators Series
A playlist of videos that features farmers talking about their use of cover crops and the results they see on their farms.
Seeding Equipment for Cover Crops
A video from Michigan State University Extension to help farmers choose the ride equipment for planting cover crops on their farm.

Farm Markets

Agribusiness Market Study 2020
A report from Calgary Economic Development about the state of the agribusiness market in 2020.
Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association
Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association (AFFPA) is dedicated to supporting the development and marketing of farm direct products to consumers.
Best practices guidebook : food hub grower manual
This manual helps growers meet pre- and post-harvest standards required by food hubs and grower co-operatives, local food service establishments and other direct market customers.
Best practices guidebook : food hub vendor manual
This Best Practices Guidebook: Food Hub Vendor Manual is for food hubs and other food-related businesses that are conducting aggregation and distribution. The manual has been developed by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry through a pilot with The Organic Food Box and their vendors.
Farm Direct Marketing Performance
The University of Guelph has produced this useful list of organizations that offer resources to assist producers with direct marketing of farm products.
Marketing Food Safely: Farm Direct Advantage
This manual is a comprehensive resource created by the Alberta government to help you market your food safely. It is intended for use by all farm direct marketers.

Lesson Plans

Ag for Life: Curriculum Linked Resources
Educators can create free accounts to gain access to hundreds of high quality educational resources that tie directly to the K-12 curriculum
Resources for Rethinking: Current Food Issues
The Saskatchewan Organic Directorate (SOD) has produced these materials to help learners explore the challenges and advantages of local food production. The resource also involves students in the preparation of tasty dishes based on local, organic products.
Science and Our Food Supply
Free supplementary curriculum from the FDA for middle and high school classrooms

Markets

Consumer corner [2021 to current]
Consumer Corner is an online publication from the Alberta government that is periodically published to share consumer trends related to the agri-food industry. This information supports food industry staff in developing effective marketing strategies, reducing product development risk, and proactively responding to consumers’ needs.

Pollinators

Bees: A Honey of an Idea
This colourful and interactive site about bees is from the Canada Agriculture Museum. Learn about bees, pollination, life in the hive and beekeeping.
TED: The hidden beauty of pollination
This video shows the world of pollen and pollinators and was inspired by the vanishing of one of nature's primary pollinators, the honeybee.

Soils

Alberta Government: Publications: Farmers and Soils
A series of publications from the Alberta Government that focus on soil quality, use, and amendments for Alberta farmers.
Alberta Soil Information Viewer
Use this online, map-based decision-support tool to access selected soil data in Alberta’s agricultural region.
Alberta Soil Information Viewer
Use this online, map-based decision-support tool to access selected soil data in Alberta’s agricultural region.
Canadian Soil Information Service
The Canadian Soil Information Service (CanSIS) is an authoritative source of soil data and land resource information for Canada.
Can Plants Help Slow Soil Erosion?
A science project for students that demonstrates how plants can slow soil erosion.
Cover Crops: A Secret Weapon for Healthy Soil?
An overview about cover crops contribute to overall soil health.
Crash Course: What is Soil (and Why is it Important)?
Soil brings together all four spheres of physical geography, and understanding soil composition is important. Today we'll talk about how the composition of soil varies dramatically with the environment.
How No-Till Changes a Farm
In this week's video we are talking about how going no-till changed my farm and perhaps a little of what to expect and also what gets a little overblown.
Occupations in Alberta: Soil Scientist
Learn about soil science careers in Alberta.
Researchers discover plant diversity stabilizes soil temperature
Soil temperature plays a central role in controlling important ecosystem processes. This is the first study that investigated whether plant diversity in particular acts as a buffer against fluctuations in soil temperature.
Saving Money, Time and Soil: The Economics of No-Till Farming
A blog post from the US Department of Agriculture about the benefits of no-till farming.
Soils 4 Teachers
The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is a professional scientific society, made up of soil scientists, educators, and consultants focused on promoting soil science, including enhancing soils topics in schools.
Soils4Kids
This site for student includes scientific information about soil, experiments for the classroom, and online soil interactives.
SoilWeb200
SoilWeb200 provides students with online, interactive, graphical, video and text-based information to assist them in understanding fundamental soil science concepts.
What is No-Till Farming?
One of the biggest contributors to soil degradation is the common practice of soil tilling. Fortunately, a growing number of farmers realize the importance of preserving and improving their soil by adopting no-till practices.

Sustainability

Biodiversity Conservation Guide for Farmers and Ranchers in Alberta
This guide’s objectives are to: help you to learn more about the benefits that biological diversity provides to your farm or ranch;
and help you identify what you’re already doing and what else you can do to conserve biodiversity.
Ducks Unlimited: Farm solutions made in Alberta
We understand agriculture and we know Alberta farmers. We live and work side-by-side with them every day. Our conservation programs have evolved over time to suit you better and our conservation program staff can show you how.
How to Grow a Three Sisters Garden
For many Indigenous communities, three seeds - corn, beans, and squash represent the most important crops. When planted together, the Three Sisters, work together to help one another thrive and survive.
Inglorious Fruit and Vegetables
This lesson plan is tied into the French Supermarket Intermarche's "Inglorious Fruit and Vegetables" campaign, to help combat food waste.
National Geographic: What the World Eats
On the first page of the interactive, select different countries or regions to see how consumption patterns have changed in the last 50 years. Click on the "Meat Consumption" tab at the top to interact with the charts to see how each country or region's meat-eating patterns have evolved.
Planet Food
This two-part interactive game introduces the concepts of interdependence and globalization through the geography of food. Educators will find the game and teaching guide for Grades 6-10.
Regenerative Agriculture 101
NRDC interviewed more than 100 farmers and ranchers who are building healthy soil and growing climate-resilient communities across the country. This guide incorporates much of what we learned.
SARE Outreach: Moving Nurseries Toward Sustainability
A playlist of videos that show how sustainable practices can be economically effective and environmentally friendly for plant nurseries.
TED: Are Spotty Fruits & Vegetables Safe to Eat?
In 2010, 30 billion dollars worth of fruits and vegetables were wasted by American retailers and shoppers, in part because of cosmetic problems and perceived spoilage. But what are these spots, anyway, and are they okay to eat?
TED: Biofuels and bioprospecting for beginners
Biofuels can provide energy without the reliance on environmentally harmful fossils fuels but scientists are still searching for a plentiful source. This video demonstrates how cellulose, the naturally abundant tough walls of plant cells, might be the solution.
TED: Underwater Farms vs. Climate Change
Dive into the world of aquaculture and see how restorative ocean farming could play a vital role in helping our coastal communities, our oceans and our climate.
TED: What would happen if the world went vegetarian?
What would the planet look like if everyone became a vegetarian right now? The creators of this video take a look at the numbers, factoring in land and water use, carbon emissions and animal by-products.
The Three Sisters: Optimizing the Value & Food Potential
Learn about a Canadian government project to learn more about why the Three Sister works so well together in agriculture and ways their growth could be more optimized.
What is the Environmental Impact of Feeding the World? | Our Hungry Planet
To feed our rapidly growing and changing world, we need innovative solutions. In this video, you'll learn about some environmental issues related to the food we grow and eat.

Statistics

AgFacts: Agriculture & The Economy
This video from Agriculture Canada gives an overview of the size and scope of Canada's agricultural sector and its importance to Canada's economy.
Canada's 2021 Census of Agriculture: A story about the transformation of the agriculture industry and adaptiveness of Canadian farmers
A report from Statistics Canada that focuses on recent changes in the agricultural industry in Canada.
Statistics Canada: Agriculture and Food
On this site, you will find most recent statistics about agriculture that are available from Statistics Canada.
Wikipedia: Agriculture in Canada
An overview of agricultural production in Canada that includes some historical data.

Water Resources

10 Agricultural techniques for water conservation
However, water conservation in agriculture has become increasingly important for the health of the environment and the sustainability of agriculture. By using water more efficiently, better-yield crops can grow while using less water, contributing to preserving one of nature's most valuable resources.
Alberta Water Portal Society: Teaching Resources
This page has compiled resources from all over the website that are particularly suited to teaching. The resource materials are introduced with a few sentences below, and then then link to the materials.
Assessment of Virtual Water Flows in Alberta
Virtual water is the amount of water that is embedded in food or other products needed for its production. This overview provides you with information about virtual water in Alberta. At the bottom of the page is a link to a study that was done about our virtual water.
Canadian Geographic: Protect Your Watershed
Find local watersheds, learn about watersheds in the 101 section and read about the different open and closed watersheds in Canada. The Themes section looks at climate change, quantity, quality, biological diversity and economic possibilities. There is also a section filled with learning resources.
Discover Water
An interactive water education website complete with games, videos, facts, and more to help you learn about the role of water in our lives.
Government of Alberta: Water
This Government of Alberta site provides information about safe drinking water, wetlands, groundwater and water management.
Hidden Water
This video, created by Inside Education, is a review of "groundwater in Alberta. Topics include quality, distribution, uses in the province, and how it links to the hydrologic cycle." (site)
An Introduction to Water Law
This collection of readings the Environmental Law Centre, links to the Social Studies 10, 20, and 30 curriculum in Alberta. It is designed to be used after the Fundamentals of Environmental Law
Josephine Biidaasige-Ba Mandamin: The Anishinaabe Activist Who Walked for Water Rights
Learn about Josephine Mandamin, the water defender, who began walking around the Great Lakes to raise awareness about water pollution.
Running Water Poster & Teachers Guide
This education kit explores the science of water use in Alberta and now contains new information about climate change, energy development and stewardship. The resource includes a poster to project in your classroom, worksheets and a teacher’s guide full of activities.
Story of Bottled Water
The Story of Bottled Water describes the environmental and financial impact of using bottled water instead of tap water.
Water: The Sacred Relationship
A team of Cree, Blackfoot and Nakota Elders, as well as both Indigenous and Western scientists, collaborated to create lesson plans about the spiritual significance of relationships to water. Guided by Indigenous worldviews, these lessons are also important environmentally.
Water Footprint Calculator
An online questionnaire that calculates your water usage and compares you to the average American consumer.
Water Stress: A Global Problem That’s Getting Worse
This article introduces the issue of water stress and discusses how if affects international relationships between countries.

Fun Stuff

TED: Why are there so many types of apples?
This is an interesting video explaining fruit breeding. Why are there so many different types of apples and how were they all created?

Related Game Kit

Click the bolded link to find the game kit in our library catalogue and request it from our library.

Agriculture Games Box (Grades 5+) New
Kit includes: Agricola, The Farming Game, Stardew Valley

Related Kits available in your ATA Library

Click the bolded link to find the kit in our library catalogue and request it from our library. Click the sub-links to see how the technology can be used in the classroom.

Air Quality Kit for microbit