Improving perception and dispelling myths about the food we eat are at the very core of the LCSA Aggies at Lethbridge College.
The Lethbridge College Student’s Association Aggies, is a club comprised mostly of agricultural students who share the same love and passion for agriculture.
The club meets monthly and engages in various social activities, from wing night to bowling.
However, Laurie Stewart, the club treasurer, said it goes beyond socializing and creating future connections. It’s about educating the public on conventional farming.
“We are proud and we want consumers to feel the same way, 98 per cent of farms in Canada are family farms and farmers eat the food they produce.”
Having worked in a grocery store, Stewart said she was amazed at the amount of people who would rant about farmers dousing crops with chemicals.
“There’s all these regulations in place to make sure none of the chemicals or hormones used never end up in our food supply. I wish people would listen when we try and tell our story.”
According to Stewart, the LCSA Aggies are often seen wearing shirts that say, agriculture is my culture or ag more than ever.
Agriculture More Than Ever, is an industry driven cause, based out of Saskatchewan and provides resources and a forum for agvocates.
Debbie Bailey, a member of the Agriculture More Than Ever team, said it’s about speaking up and speaking positively for the industry.
“We are encouraging people to educate themselves. We take care of our land, we are responsible and we care about our animals. That’s what we want people to know,” said Bailey. “There’s a market for organic farming and conventional farming and we can co-exist peacefully.”
Kayla Trotter, president of the LCSA Aggies, said there’s a lot of pressure from people who aren’t educated when it comes to agriculture and as a result, are too quick to judge.
“A lot of what goes around is misinformation and people believe what they hear or see on Facebook.”
As a result, Trotter said this makes it hard for the club to set up booths and engage with the community.
“We would like to get out there, it’s just hard because we get harassed.”
Despite these challenges, Trotter said the club is going to continue to inform the general public about agriculture.
Currently, there are between 50 and 60 active members and according to Stewart, they all have one thing in common. Passion.
“It’s not just a job for us, it’s a whole lifestyle. I think the passion of that is often forgotten by the average consumer.”