On Dec. 14, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the construction of a new interactive agricultural education facility at the University of Manitoba.

The Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre, which will be built at the U of M’s Glenlea Research Station roughly 20 km from the Fort Garry campus, will let the public take a closer look at Manitoba’s agricultural world.

Crystal Jorgenson, communications specialist from the faculty of agricultural and food sciences, said, “The new [centre] will give Manitobans an opportunity to discover food production and modern agricultural practices.”

The centre will include dioramas and hands-on displays of grain and feed production, viewing galleries for the hog barn including videos that illustrate scenes from the demonstration barn, along with food retailing and food safety displays.
According to Michael Trevan, dean of the faculty of agricultural and food sciences, the centre “provides hands-on interpretative displays that tell the story of what it takes in terms of people, science and technology to secure a safe, healthy and nutritious food supply in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner.”

“The story starts with the soil and ends with the supper plate,” he continued.
Trevan said the displays and programming is aimed primarily at grade 5-8 students, but the centre welcomes anyone who wishes to visit.

Jorgenson said, “We anticipate that school tours will be a big part of the visits to the centre.”
The centre has received $2.3 million in federal funding through the Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) and $900,000 from the Province of Manitoba. The 8,280 square-foot centre is expected to cost roughly $4 million.

While this new centre is being built, another centre, the Delta Marsh Field Station, which operated to support teaching, research and outreach activities for the faculty of science among others, as well as other universities and institutions, is being temporarily shut down due to operating, infrastructure and financial challenges.

Trevan says, “The Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre is being built because we had a vision for public outreach in this area that was shared with, supported and is funded by, the federal and provincial governments, industry, farm groups and a large number of very generous individuals.”

He continued, “If we had been unsuccessful in gaining widespread support then we would be unable to build this centre.”

The steering committee of the Delta Marsh Field Station will be developing a plan to re-open a vibrant, sustainable facility over the winter, with hopes to re-open the facility in the spring of 2010.

“I am pleased to celebrate the start of such an exciting project for the University of Manitoba. With this new centre, students will be equipped with valuable learning tools to assist them in their agricultural education,” said Member of Parliament Vic Toews at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“This is a great investment and a further example of how our government is helping to ensure that Manitoba emerges from this global economic recession stronger than ever.”

As visitors leave the Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre a poster says “If you have eaten today, remember the farmer. In the next 40 years there will be another 3 billion mouths to feed,” leaving visitors with a tasty slab of food for thought.

The centre, which anticipates 30,000 visitors annually, is expected to be finished construction by October 2010.