BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation (BCAITC) is pleased to launch the Spotlight Series on Strawberries! The new BCAITC series (supported by Buy BC) provides a selection of intermediate and secondary-level educational resources on BC strawberries. Take a Bite of BC Culinary Arts classrooms, Home Economics classrooms, homeschools, and anyone interested in learning about strawberries can use the multi-dimensional toolkit.

The Spotlight Series on Strawberries is available for free download at www.bcaitc.ca and features:

• Video: A 9-minute video showcases the art and science of strawberry farming with Dan Neufeld of Neufeld Farms in Abbotsford.
• GIS Resources: Students can explore the Grow BC GIS site to learn about BC’s strawberry industry. They can then use the brand new Farm Explorer BC site, supported by The Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, to get a close-up look at the stories behind dozens of BC berry farms.
• Activities: Educators can use Focus on Strawberries, Common Ground: The Strawberry Project Handbook, A Race around the Strawberry Patch Board Game, and Fresh Story – Strawberries to educate students about both cultivated and wild strawberries.
• Recipes: Students can utilize their culinary skills to make delicious BC grown recipes (developed by BCAITC’s Chef Trevor Randle) such as BC Sour Cream Chocolate Cake with Local Strawberry Preserves and Chocolate Ganache, Tres Leches Cake, and Floating Islands with Caramel Sauce and BC Berries.

Trevor Randle, BCAITC Chef and Maple Ridge Secondary School Chef Instructor, said, “I am looking forward to using the new Spotlight Series in my Culinary Arts classroom this school year. The series is a terrific way to teach students to think local, buy local, and cook local – and support our BC farmers.”

Pat Tonn, BCAITC Executive Director, said, “This new Spotlight Series showcases BC’s incredible strawberry story. Educators can use the farming video, GIS webpages, and activities to teach students the who, what, when, where, and why of BC’s strawberry industry. Then they can lead students through a variety of recipes that incorporate locally grown berries.”

The Spotlight Series on Strawberries compliments the existing Spotlight Series on Potatoes, Halibut, Hazelnuts, Honey, Chickens, Blueberries, Pork, Duck, Eggs, Cranberries, and Apples.