Info For Farmers
If you think you’d enjoy sharing with students the satisfaction you get from producing local food, are interested in increasing your farm name and brand recognition in the community, or are looking for a way to boost your farm income, then the Kids on the Farm program might be for you!
Read the information below and complete the registration form by February 26, 2024.
If you’re a farmer, community gardener or educator outside Whitehorse interested in starting up a program similar to Kids on the Farm in your own community, email
What is the Kids on the Farm program?
The Kids on the Farm (KotF) program connects teachers with participating farmers and facilitates school tours of local farms. This program supports the Local Food Strategy for Yukon by effectively increasing the knowledge, appreciation and awareness of agriculture among Whitehorse students and teachers through experiential learning, all the while supporting school curriculum objectives. At the same time, KotF contributes to the financial stability of Yukon farmers by providing an important opportunity for them to diversify their farm income.
The Kids on the Farm program provides resources to help farmers lead high-quality tours and demonstrates how farm tours fit into the Yukon curriculum. The program also provides subsidies to participating school groups to help cover transportation costs, remuneration to farmers to compensate them for their time preparing for, leading and cleaning up after farm tours, and funds for a program coordinator.
Why participate?
Offering farm tours increases your farm and brand recognition and builds relationships within the community. You get the opportunity to teach students where their food comes from and how they can produce food themselves at home or at school; promote agriculture as a career choice; and generally share the joy you get from your relationship to the land and its products. You also receive remuneration for your time preparing for, leading and cleaning up after tours. More specifically, farmers are paid $50/hour for the duration of each tour, plus an equal number of hours (up to a maximum of 3 hours) for tour preparations and clean-up.
Farmers’ Meeting
Participating farmers have an annual Farmer's Meeting in March to review the program procedures (booking, payment and evaluations); discuss farm safety and risk management; and share ideas and experiences to help each other gain the confidence to lead fun, educational and memorable farm tours. Participants are provided with a copy of the Farmer’s Handbook that includes information on how to plan your farm tour and lists many age-appropriate farm activities that fit into the Yukon curriculum.
Anyone interested in learning how a similar program could be established in Yukon communities is warmly invited to the Farmers’ Meeting. The Kids on the Farm program will gladly share resources, experiences and advice with interested community groups who will have the autonomy to develop new farm tour programs that work best for their own communities’ needs, assets and unique situations. Funding is available for participating community leaders - farmers, gardeners and educators - to be reimbursed for their travel costs to the Farmers’ Meeting. Farmers in the Whitehorse area will be pleased to billet meeting participants from Yukon communities. Email
When do Kids on the Farm tours take place?
The farm tour season runs from May 1 to September 30, not including the schools’ summer holidays. Tours can range from 1 to 5 hours and the average tour duration is 3.5 hours. You have control of your schedule and can decline any farm tour request.
Online Booking
Participating farmers will receive support to learn how to navigate the online booking site. Each farm will have access to its own online calendar where it can block off days and times it’s unavailable to lead farm tours.
While the Kids on the Farm program will make a concerted effort to facilitate tour bookings to all participating farms, please note that your registration does not guarantee you will be asked to host any farm tours. Information provided on the Registration Form is used to create each farm profile. Teachers choose which farms to visit with their classes based on the farm profiles on the website.
Want more information?
If you have questions, are interested in participating or in starting up a similar program in your community, contact the Kids on the Farm Program coordinator at
Forms
