Sask Pork youth ambassador wants public to know how hard farmers work to bring food to their tables
By Bruce Cochrane, Farmscape & Lynn Redl-Huntington
Sask Pork's Whole Hog Youth Ambassador says the public needs to be aware that food doesn't just appear in the grocery store, it is produced through the hard work of farmers.
Sask Pork’s Whole Hog Youth Ambassador Program, launched in January, is designed to bring youth into the discussion of how pork is produced and where our food comes from. Sask Pork Whole Hog Youth Ambassador 10-year-old Reise Podhordeski said people need to know what goes into the production of food and how it gets to their table.
“As the youth ambassador my role is to inform others about the pork industry. I get to talk to other kids my age to share what I've learned about how pigs are raised. Since the program launched I've been able to take part in a number of interviews and have attended a few events such as Ag Awareness Summit and Ag in the City. I was able to chat with Maddie from Learn about Ag with Maddie, Clinton Monchuk with Farm and Food Care and Shelby at 4H Saskatchewan. Coming up this month I'll be visiting classrooms for Canadian Ag Literacy Month and In April I'll be at the Discover the Farm event in Swift Current. There seems to be a lot of interest,” said Podhordeski, who lives on a hay farm in Marcelin, SK.
Last year, 2.2 million pigs were raised on 147 farms across Saskatchewan making Saskatchewan the 5th largest pork producing province in Saskatchewan.
“I think the most common questions are how many pigs in a litter, what do pigs eat and how big do they get. People I'm meeting are finding it really interesting to learn about how their food is raised and people already involved in agriculture like that, we are able to teach about food production. I feel that people should know where their food comes from. It doesn't just appear at the grocery store. Farmers put a lot of care and attention into raising pigs to make sure we have the best pork. I want people to know that pigs are raised with lots of care and that farmers work hard to make sure that we have safe food,” added Podhordeski.
Podhordeski first learned about the pork industry from his father and grandparents who once ran a genetic female nucleus.
Podhordeski said there's a lot of technology used in raising pigs and that's really cool.
Funding for The Whole Hog youth ambassador program was made possible through the Agriculture Awareness Initiative Program under the Canadian Agriculture Partnership. Follow @SaskPork and @PickPorkSK for the latest from The Whole Hog.