Trefoil goes to Glenlea Agricultural Research Center

I belong to our local Trefoil Guild. Trefoil is largely made up of retired Girl Guide Leaders who are supportive of Guiding in their community and the word and still enjoy participating in a variety of activities, outings and parties. 

This past week our local Trefoil group went on a tour of The Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre. This new facility is located about 20 minutes from the city and belongs to The University of Manitoba's Faculty of Agriculture.

We had about 14 people attend and we took part in one of their workshops. We took part in a session called From Field to Table led by a terrific young woman. We talked about different steps related to local farming and transportation and export. We then divided into small groups  and made several different types of bread. My small group opted for making pretzels.

While our bread rose and baked we went on a tour of the facility.  It was very interesting with everything from a tractor simulator to drive to interpreting a local weather station. The are windows into a pig barn so we could see breading sows in one area and little piglets in another.

The Bruce D. Campbell Farm and Food Discovery Centre is the first hands-on facility which will explore the ways in which food is made in Canada.   The centre is located at the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment, at the University of Manitoba’s Glenlea Research Station.

Exciting and interactive exhibits lead visitors from the farmer’s wheat field to the kitchen table.  A highlight of these exhibits are viewing windows into real working pig barn, where visitors will peek into a day in the life of a pig.  

Visitors learn about every aspect of food production from farming practices to retail sales. The Discovery Centre also highlights ongoing research at the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment.

The centre's design features flexibility, and includes a multipurpose room, exhibit areas, office and reception, washrooms and storage space.  Other features include a dedicated parking lot, a bus drop-off zone, a landscaped picnic area and outside exhibits designed to mimic river lots upon which Manitoba crops can be grown. The multipurpose space will support hands-on activities and can be used for public presentations and meetings.

Quote from:
http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/afs/discovery_centre/index.html