Farm-Scape is sponsored by Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork Play Audio Farm-Scape is a Wonderworks Canada production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork.

Farm-Scape, Episode 1355

Alberta Pork says the heart of Edmonton's south side is the ideal site for the University of Alberta's new Pork Industry Interpretive Centre.

The Pig Science Centre is a biosecure facility built as part of the University of Alberta's new Swine Research Technology Centre.

The project was spearheaded in partnership with Alberta Pork which arranged for funding, development of educational materials and will staff and operate the interpretive centre.

Alberta Pork Assistant General Manager Paul Hodgman says the university's south campus is an ideal location for people to get to.

"One of the big problems, I think all agriculture faces, is that people are getting farther and farther away from the farm, don't understand the business, don't understand the products, don't understand where they come from.

Hence, we have lots of questions about agriculture. Where in the past we had a lot more support, now we've got a lot of people who aren't familiar questioning our practices.

Then I think the young people today just don't understand where their food comes from so this goes back to when the University built its new research facility right in the heart of Edmonton.

We had a glorious opportunity to bring the public and particularly young people into a facility and see what goes on and make it in a fun and entertaining way.

We give people an opportunity to go through the centre and there's various parts that deal with environment or food safety and all those things.

It gives them a chance to bring up issues of concern and deal with them.

We think, in the long run, this will be a very important part of the school program and people will want to come and bring their students here, the grade four and five level, and learn about our industry first hand and about our products".

Hodgman says Alberta Pork views the centre as a great opportunity for people to gain a better understanding of what's going on in the industry.

He points out people learn better when they're having fun and when they can see, hear and touch things.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.