ABP Presents: Running with the Ranchers

During the pandemic, we saw a drastic decrease in requests for education and in-classroom programming. While our ‘Beef in the Classroom’ materials are still current, we decided we needed a program that encompassed more than just ‘the beef,’ and engaged students in a more practical way.

Over the past year, ABP has worked on restructuring the “Beef in the Classroom” programming, and while still offered as a stand alone program for the higher grade levels, we created a program that integrated the content, alongside the teachings from our industry partners. The goal was to better utilize the resources and time it would take from both producers and teachers to bring the story of beef “from farm to plate” to local classrooms. In partnership with Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation, the Running with the Ranchers program was formed.

Running with the Ranchers (RWR) allows elementary students from kindergarten to grade five to explore raising beef animals in Alberta. Following the Alberta school curriculum, RWR offers the opportunity for students to gain a better understanding of food production systems by exploring the different stages of beef production and its role in local ecosystems.

Classes will follow a selected cow from fall gathering to pasture entry the following spring through video content and virtual meetings with their rancher. The aim is to highlight key sectors within the beef industry from cow-calf, background, finishing, auctions and more. Through the months of May and June, students within the Calgary area will join Glenbow Ranch for a day to experience a real working ranch and personally connect the activities to lessons taught throughout the year.

The program is offered to classes across the province of Alberta. Although some classes may not be able to attend the year-end trip at the Glenbow Ranch due to geographical restrictions, they can join our partners at Public and Stakeholder Engagement by viewing the Guardians of the Grasslands documentary. Students may then try their own hand at ranching by playing the Guardians of the Grasslands game online as part of the program wrap-up.

If you are interested in participating in RWR or would like additional information, feel free to reach out to Taylor Kalbfleisch.

This article was first published in Volume 4 Issue 2 of ABP Magazine (June 2024). Watch for more digital content from the magazine on ABP Daily.