Connecting Students to Agriculture
We invite classrooms to take part in our Ag Adventures program! Spring and fall, tours are available for K-12 students. All grade levels can participate in free educational agriculture tours (facilitated by staff and local volunteers). Ag Adventures provide opportunities for students to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and get their hands dirty in the soil – all while learning about BC’s agriculture and food story!
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Ag Adventures are 90-120 minute tours providing education on BC agriculture subjects including soil, pollinators, water preservation, invasive species, greenhouses, crop rotation, and more. Bring your classroom to our outdoor classrooms filled with nature’s surprises and delights! Ag Adventures take place at three locations:
- Helen's Acres, Kelowna
- The Pencil Patch, Abbotsford
- Stable Harvest Farm, Langley contact them directly for dates + times of their Farm Tour.
Helen’s Acres Community Farm Kelowna
By Mission Creek Regional Park
BCAITC is thrilled to partner with Helen’s Acres Community Farm in Kelowna. Come for an Ag Adventure at the 24-acre farm and see how much food they are growing for the food bank and other community partners! Learn about what is being done to help alleviate food insecurity in the region, and discover other curriculum-linked agriculture topics!
Highlights:
- 12 Learning Stations: Learn about soil, bees, photosynthesis, forests and farming, irrigation, and different types of plants through informative stations and hands-on activities.
- Greenhouses: See where seeds are started, plants are nurtured, and the growing season is extended in the greenhouses.
- Produce Cooler: See the cooler and learn about how the community comes together to care for each other, as food is harvested, cleaned, and then distributed.
The Pencil Patch
East Abbotsford
What better way to provide students with the opportunity to visit a working garden than to create one ourselves? Supported by the City of Abbotsford, the community and schools come together at The Pencil Patch – a garden for discovery and learning. It also gives us the chance to get out of our offices and play in the soil!
Highlights:
- 12 Learning Stations: Provide fun and interactive BC agriculture subjects such as soil, pollinators, water, seeds, the importance of wetlands, invasive species, dairy, and more.
- Greenhouse: The place where our seeds are started and plants like tomatoes and cucumbers are grown.
- Medicine Wheel: This traditional Indigenous concept provides learnings about the interconnectivity of the natural world to people.
- Pollinator Garden: Planted especially to attract and support pollinators.
- The Milk House: A former milk storage location for a 1920's dairy farm, the Milk House now holds our new fun life-size milking cow, Delilah. This site also provides a talking-point for lessons on milk production.
- Raised Harvest Bin and Flower Beds: Showcase carrots, sunflowers, wheat, radishes, and greens as well as marigolds, daffodils, lavender, nasturtiums, snapdragons, lemon balm, and scarlet runner beans (great for hummingbirds)! Plus fragrant thyme, sage, chives, and mint.
Watch this video below to learn more about The Pencil Patch.
Sign Us Up!
School Field Trips
We’d love to welcome you and your grades K-12 students to our free Ag Adventures program at two locations this spring. Register now. Space is limited and is available on a first-come-first-served basis.
Helen's Acres - Kelowna
Tours are available on select days from May 6 to June 11 2025 for K-12 classrooms. Complete this form to register your class.
The Pencil Patch - Abbotsford
- Tours are available on select days from April 1 to June 5 2025 for grade K-12 classrooms. Complete this form to register your class.
- Tours are available on select days from April 25 to June 6 2025 for K-12 homeschool tours. Complete this form to register your class.
Questions?
For more information on Ag Adventures, contact agadventures@aitc.ca.
Gardening Camps 2025
Important information to get you excited!
**PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU REGISTER **
🎉AGE RESTRICTIONS: Camps at Pencil Patch - AG Adventures are designed for children ages 6-12. Children must be 6 years of age or older on the day of the program AND have completed or be currently attending Kindergarten.
❤️HEALTH/ILLNESS: Please note that wearing a mask does not excuse or negate the presence of active cold or flu symptoms – campers are not permitted to attend camps if experiencing/displaying active cold or flu symptoms and may be sent home at staff’s discretion.
🌈PROGRAM LOGISTICS: Camps will take place outdoors rain or shine, with some covered outdoor spaces available for lunchtime and stationary activities. Please ensure campers are dressed for the weather and have additional layers or a change of clothes available if needed. Indoor spaces are limited and only available in instances of extreme weather or other safety hazards. Youth attending our programs should be prepared to use porta-potties located in the Garden.
🌟Please consider these factors when determining if this program is the right fit.
We are unable to provide refunds or credits (either complete or partial) for the following situations:
- Cancellation requests made with less than three weeks’ (21 days’) notice
- Cancellation requests made over the phone, by voicemail, or in person
- Expulsion due to disruptive/unsafe behaviour, inappropriate fit for program, or similar
- Absence from a program due to illness, injury, travel, family, or similar
- Public Health Regulations/Restrictions, as mandated by the Federal and/or Provincial governments
CONTACT : Mia Soetaert (Garden Programs Coordinator) | agadventures@aitc.ca | 604-257-8443
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Spring Break Camp - Full
Explore, Experience, Discover. The goal of our Garden Camp is to provide a hands-on, technology-free experience for your child by offering opportunities for daily connection to food, agriculture and nature.
Spring Gardening Camp is a hands-on and educational day camp designed for children ages 6-12! This engaging program provides a fun, safe, and enriching environment where young learners will explore the wonders of plants, nature, sustainability, and gardening basics. Through interactive activities, outdoor exploration, and creative arts, children will discover the full growth process from seed to harvest while developing valuable practical skills.
To join our waitlist please contact Mia Soetaert, our Garden Programs Coordinator, at agadventures@aitc.ca or 604-257-8443.
Camp Schedule - March 24 - 28 9:00 AM - 4:00 pm Cost $200
Day 1: Introduction to Gardening & Planting Seeds
Theme: Getting Started with Gardening
Children will learn the basics of gardening, including essential tools, soil preparation, and planting their first seeds.
Day 2: The Planting Process & Soil Science
Theme: Soil and Growing Healthy Plants
Campers will explore the importance of soil health, composting, and how to nurture plants from the ground up.
Day 3: Plant Growth & Garden Care
Theme: Observing Growth and Garden Maintenance
Children will observe plant development and learn essential garden care techniques, such as watering, weeding, and pest management.
Day 4: Sustainable Gardening & Environmental Awareness
Theme: Protecting Our Planet and Gardening Sustainably
Campers will explore eco-friendly gardening techniques, pollinators, and the role of gardens in protecting the environment.
Day 5: Harvesting & Garden Celebration
Theme: The Fruits of Our Labor
Participants will enjoy the rewards of their efforts by harvesting their crops and celebrating their gardening achievements with fun activities.
April Pro D Camp – Registration now open!
Explore, Experience, Discover. The goal of our Garden Camp this spring is to provide a hands-on, technology-free experience for your child, offering daily opportunities to connect with food, agriculture, and nature.
As the season of renewal, spring provides the perfect backdrop for your child to explore the growth of plants, learn about sustainable practices, and engage with the natural world as it awakens. It's an exciting time to discover new interests and develop a deeper appreciation for the environment.
To register, fill out the camp registration form and email the completed form to agadventures@aitc.ca
Camp Schedule - April 17th 9:00 AM - 4:00 pm Cost $40
May Pro D Camp – Registration now open!
Explore, Experience, Discover. The goal of our Garden Camp this spring is to provide a hands-on, technology-free experience for your child, offering daily opportunities to connect with food, agriculture, and nature. May brings vibrant colors and the beauty of blooming flowers, making it an exciting time for your child to discover new interests and develop a deeper appreciation for the environment.
To register, fill out the camp registration form and email the completed form to agadventures@aitc.ca
Camp Schedule: May 16th 9:00 AM - 4:00 pm Cost $40
Summer Camp - Registration Will Open!
Explore, Experience, Discover. Summer Gardening Camp is a hands-on and educational day camp designed for children ages 6-12! This engaging program provides a fun, safe, and enriching environment where young learners will explore the wonders of plants, nature, sustainability, and gardening basics. During the summer months, as gardens flourish and the sun shines bright, children will dive into the full growth process, from seed to harvest. Through interactive activities, outdoor exploration, and creative arts, campers will develop valuable practical skills while enjoying the vibrant energy of summer and building a deeper connection to the natural world around them.
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Half Day Camps - $130 CAMP WEEK 1 : July 7-11 AGES: 6-12 YEARS
CAMP WEEK 2 : July 14-18 AGES: 8-12 YEARS |
Full day Camps - $200 CAMP WEEK 4: August 11-15 AGES: 8 -12 YEARS CAMP WEEK 5: August 18 - 22 AGES: 6 -12 YEARS |
To register, fill out the camp registration form and email the completed form to agadventures@aitc.ca
A Crop of Resources!
Use these resources to expand on what you’ve learned from Ag Adventures. From planting guides to outdoor lesson plans, you’ll find everything you need to get your school garden started and to enhance your outdoor education plan. Here are some free resources that help you bring agriculture into your classroom!
- School Garden Resource (Inspired by Ag Adventures): Step-by-step instructions on how start-up and maintain a school garden year-round.
- It All Starts Here Poster: A fun poster for your classroom.
- Alfalfabet A to Z: A storybook of agriculture from A to Z.
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Partners Make It Possible — Thank You!
Helen's Acres
Thank you to Trinity Baptist Church Legacy Foundation in Kelowna for providing Helen's Acres farm space for Ag Adventures in Kelowna.
The Pencil Patch
Thank you to our partners and Abbotsford neighbours for their help in creating the Pencil Patch — A Garden for Learning and for offering this hands-on learning opportunity for our community.
Abbotsford Community Foundation through the Abbotsford Disaster Relief Fund
BC Youth in Agriculture Foundation
Geoff Lewis
Join Us!
To find out how you or your business can support this exciting program, contact us or check out our Partnership Opportunities.
Teachers and Parents Ask the Best Questions
Students will engage in a variety of digging, watering, harvesting, and other hands-on learning activities in a garden or farm environment.
Teachers need to bring clipboards and pens/pencils (enough for students) and print-outs of the Ag Adventures handouts. Students should bring water bottles and be dressed in weather-appropriate clothing, including jackets, sunhats, sunscreen and, if possible, rubber boots. BCAITC provides everything else needed for your garden visit!
No. Unless it is dangerous to complete the activities, we continue with the garden visits as planned. In the unlikely event of a cancellation, we will contact you in advance.
Yes. Teachers are responsible for transportation to the garden. Free parking is located at the site or close by.
Participation is completely free! Registration required.
Yes, we have washrooms at both sites.
For public and independent school classrooms, there is a minimum of 30 students required to book a visit; we suggest you bring your buddy class or another class to share the transportation costs. For homeschool visits (offered on select dates only), we will group students to meet the minimum numbers.
