Sheila Bautz
Special to the Herald
Saskatchewan Agriculture Week was celebrated in the Land of the Living Skies from Oct. 5-11 this year, yet the importance extends throughout the month of October.
The week highlights awareness about Saskatchewan’s vibrant province wide agricultural community, the food producers, the culture and the Agriculture sector’s various areas of important involvement, such as with the protection of wildlife and land stewardship.
“Agriculture is an important driver of our provincial economy and integral to our communities’ economic and social wellbeing,” said Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison. “Agriculture Week is an opportunity to celebrate this vital sector, share stories, and recognize farmers, ranchers and agri-businesses who help feed our province, country and the world.”
As such, the week also celebrates the year-round interconnectedness of the farming and ranching culture in various sectors. One of those sectors is the conservation of wildlife and endangered species, which is part of the compounded agricultural responsibilities in the province. Management of vital native grassland is another area that members and producers in the agriculture industry strive for in conservation efforts, which are crucial to sustaining wildlife habitat.
The interconnective aspect of the Agriculture Industry in Saskatchewan demonstrates an important extension of the provincial direct impacts farmers and ranchers make to the environment as well. Through Agriculture’s interconnectedness and the unity it requires to work together and thrive, the web of overall well-being in the province is multi-faceted and multi-specied.
“For Saskatchewan Agriculture Week, we would like to highlight the importance agriculture plays in conservation,” representatives from the South of the Divide Conservation Action Program Inc. (SODCAP Inc.) publicly announced. “Producers are integral to managing our grasslands that forms extensive tracts of habitat for species at risk and the broader range of wildlife populations. Let’s #CelebrateAg and the prairie stewards that work to maintain biodiversity across the Saskatchewan landscape!”
The SODCAP Inc. is one example of the partnership created between agriculture stakeholders and government to implement actions that relate to the South of the Divide Multi-Species Action Plan. Under the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk (1996), the federal Government of Canada, the Government of Saskatchewan and other territorial governments negotiated an agreement to establish conservation programs. The important legislature that resulted ensures the protection of wildlife species at risk in various Canadian and agricultural demographics.
According to the public document, Species at Risk Act: A Comprehensive Inventory of Legislative Documents 1973-2017, on March 2 & 3 of 2018, Nadine Hoffman presented the history of the nation of Canada’s legal commitment to protect endangered species since 1973. The resulting nation-wide political agreements involve strategic planning and measures for wildlife protection, as it was recognized that various species of wildlife also work together in a highly functioning ecosystem. Balance is key.
Through sharing habitats with wildlife, the importance of meeting the individual species requirements and needs is vital for endangered species to thrive in a highly functioning environment – which is often owned by grain and livestock producers. The focus in the South of the Divide Multi-Species Action Plan currently addresses 13 different types of wildlife species, such as the burrowing owl, who are receiving protection due to being identified as “At Risk”, “Threatened”, or “Endangered” in the Species at Risk Act.
Annually, the provincial Ministry of Agriculture partners with Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan to gather various organizations, businesses and communities together. The gathering occurs through direct and indirect connections with the agriculture industry. Saskatchewan residents also exchange and share their stories while fostering understanding about agricultural communities.
According to Farm and Food Saskatchewan’s public statements on Environmental Care, one key role farmers and ranchers continue is their responsibilities to land stewardship and the wildlife inhabitants that are sustained in those environments. This is due to the wide and diverse landscape owned by farmers and ranchers containing multiple bodies of water and food sources that also sustain various species of wildlife, including those endangered, in the ecosystem.
As a result, the agriculture community makes efforts to ensure proper land management – such as planting native grass – occurs while being obligated to protect water sources, the land and the wildlife species for the next generations.
”Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan is an industry leader in building agriculture awareness in the province,” said Clinton Monchuk, Executive Director for Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan. “Pride in the people who produce food in this province runs deep. Each year Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan has the privilege to lead celebrations for this great agriculture industry. Ag Week allows everyone in Saskatchewan the opportunity to think deeper about how the food they enjoy comes to their family’s table.”
The theme this year for Ag Week, #CelebrateAg, encouraged everyone to enter conversations about food sources and the people behind it – wildlife included. The Saskatchewan government reports that, through a mix of online campaigns, community events, and interactive activities, Ag Week aims to bridge the gap between producers and people.
Part of the agriculture celebrations throughout the province include the Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan online photo contest. Photographs often capture the landscape, wildlife, and day-to-day operations on farms and ranches throughout the province. The photo contest is ongoing throughout the month of October. Saskatchewan residents are encouraged to continue participating in the photo contest.
Agriculture Week is about celebrating shared values,” stated Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan in a public statement. “We want Canadians to know that we care deeply about the food we produce for them. Each year, Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan provides a toolkit and ideas to help us all #CelebrateAg together.”
Various organizations and cultures provide important networks in the food and farming industry, demonstrating the central role of interconnectedness Agriculture producers have amongst their fellow sub-cultures in the province. Saskatchewan residents are also encouraged to continue their involvement in the agricultural activities and celebration, which explores the inter-connectiveness of people, cultures and wildlife in the diverse province.
