Stettler grade 4 students get hands-on agriculture experience

Published 2:30 pm Saturday, June 6, 2026

Around 160 grade 4 students from all corners of Stettler County had the opportunity to take part in an agriculture experience day hosted at the Stettler and District Agricultural Society Agriplex May 28.

The hands-on day was a follow-up to a previous day when Stettler County Agricultural Services Board staff gave classroom presentations to students.

According to Farrah Fischer, the Stettler County ASB assistant agricultural fieldman, the program presented was based on one run by Clearwater County and uses the Ag for Life agriculture education program.

Once learning about the Clearwater program at last year’s ASB conference, the Stettler ASB began developing a plan to bring the program to Stettler, reaching out to the agricultural society and Clearview Public Schools to partner on the initiative.

The hands-on day began with students arriving at the Agriplex about 9 a.m.

After a welcome by Rob Klatt, the Stettler County ASB fieldman, students were broken into groups of about 20 and rotated through several stations set up in the Agriplex arena.

Stations varied, including western roping, produce, poultry, agriculture mechanics, beef and dairy.

“The pigs are a hit,” Fischer said.

The youth remained at each station between 20 and 30 minutes before moving to the next one.

Students involved in the day came from Stettler Elementary, Byemoor, Big Valley, Erskine and Christ King Catholic School.

Marj Savage, manager at Stettler District Agricultural Society, considered the day a success.

“It was a learning curve for us,” Savage said. “We could have had more stations.”

Savage said with the space in the arena, there was more than ample room to add more animals, such as sheep and goats, if the program runs again next year.

Additionally, Savage said running the program at grade 4 was the perfect age, as the kids were young enough to learn, but not old enough to be stuck on their cellphones, more concerned with social media than what is going on around them.

With the success of the program, preliminary plans are already underway for its return next year.