OTTAWA, ON, December 5, 2018—To mark World Soil Day, the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum — one of three museums under Ingenium – Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation — is planning a national, long-term soil initiative to reinforce the essential link between healthy soils and healthy food through a new Soil Initiative called ‘The Secret Life of Soil’.
The Secret Life of Soil will include an exhibition at the museum in Ottawa — including a soil lab and garden for scientific discovery and citizen science. This initiative will also seek to champion important conversations around soil health through a national outreach campaign, including a travelling display, educational activities, and events.
The initiative aims to further important conversations about the importance of soil management to ensure healthy crops and healthy food. Since soil is a dwindling resource, soil management is absolutely critical to our food security — now and into the future. With the support of industry partners, The Secret Life of Soil hopes to engage Canadians on the importance of soil stewardship in contemporary agriculture. These conversations will foster a greater appreciation and understanding of this finite resource, which is intrinsically linked to food security, health, and quality of life.
In order to bring this initiative to Canadians from coast to coast, the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum is proud to partner with Glacier FarmMedia, the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association, Fertilizer Canada, the Soil Conservation Council of Canada, and Nutrients for Life.
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Contact
Christine Clouthier
Ingenium – Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation
cclouthier@IngeniumCanada.org
613-990-6508
Quotes
“Healthy soil is absolutely vital for all Canadians — it directly affects our food security, health, and overall quality of life. Through high-quality educational information and programming, the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum will engage Canadians and bring this national issue to the forefront of conversation.”
-Kerry-Leigh Burchill, Director General, Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
"Issues that are important to farmers are important to Glacier FarmMedia. Farmers have told us that soil management is of growing concern since they are dependent on healthy soil to grow healthy foods for our growing population. We are proud to support this initiative."
-Bob Willcox, President, Glacier FarmMedia
About the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum - one of the three museums under Ingenium - Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation, is located at Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm, which traces its roots to 1886 and is the world’s only working farm in the heart of a capital city. The museum offers programs and exhibitions on Canada’s agricultural heritage, food literacy, and on the benefits and relationship of agricultural science and technology to Canadians’ everyday lives. It provides visitors with a unique opportunity to see diverse breeds of farm animals important to Canadian agriculture past and present, and to learn about the food they eat. In addition to breeds common to Canadian agriculture, such as Holstein dairy cows and Angus beef cows, the museum also has Canadienne dairy cows, Tamworth pigs, and Clydesdale horses. Many other breeds of dairy and beef cattle, pigs, sheep, horses, poultry, goats, and rabbits round out the collection.
About Glacier FarmMedia
Glacier FarmMedia is the agricultural division of Glacier Media Inc., an information communications company focused on the provision of primary and essential information and related services through print, electronic and online media. The Glacier FarmMedia family includes: Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, Ag in Motion, Farm Forum Event, Western Producer, Grainews, Country Guide, Manitoba Co-operator, Canadian Cattlemen, Alberta Farmer Express, Farmtario, Le Bulletin des Agriculteurs, AgDealer, Global Auction Guide and Farmzilla. For more information visit farmmedia.com.