Last week was the 33rd year for Aggie Days held at the Calgary Stampede Grounds.

Kids and their families had the opportunity to tour the barns and visit with farm animals, as well as learn about where their food comes from without having to leave the city.

From April 11 to 13, Aggie Days was reserved for school kids, and was then opened to the public on the weekend.

Grade 4 student, Callie Skiftum.

One of the students who attended the event on Friday was Grade 4 student, Callie Skiftum, from Trinity Christian Academy in Strathmore.

Skiftum says, she was most excited to see the goats and sheep.

"The sheep their kind of fluffy looking, and they might have like one of those barrel things out where you can feel their fluff and stuff."

She says, she learned pigs can grow very large since she had only seen smaller pigs before.

Skiftum was one of over 9,000 students who visited the farm animals and learned about where food comes from.

2nd Vice Chair of the Agriculture Education Committee at the Calgary Stampede, Josh Traptow.

A lot of hard work and planning goes into hosting Aggie Days.

2nd Vice Chair of the Agriculture Education Committee at the Calgary Stampede, Josh Traptow, says they bring in about 30 to 40 exhibitors.

"Anywhere from the folks that bring in their animals, the different commodity groups, Alberta Milk, and everything like that. All the different booths have some kind of interactions with the kids so they're able to learn and ask questions so they can get an understanding of everything that goes into their food, agri-food, agriculture, farming, everything like that."

Traptow says, for a lot of kids, Aggie Days is their first experience with agriculture.

"They walk in and they see a chicken for the first time, or a goat, or they see eggs not in the store and their eyes just light right up, and they're like oh wow this is so amazing! I know all of the exhibitors really enjoy that and talking with kids."

President of the Calgary Stampede, David Sibbald.

President of the Calgary Stampede, David Sibbald was at the event last week as well, and says the kids are loaded with questions.

"Some of the ones are do brown cows give brown milk? And those are those things that once they get to see and learn they're in. The Stampede's really excited to provide this learning experience."

Sibbald says, allowing children to come see the farm animals and learn first hand about agriculture helps bridge the gap between urban and rural.

U.S. Ambassador of Canada, Kelly Knight Craft was also at the event with her husband Mr. Joe Craft.

U.S. Ambasador of Canada, Kelly Knight Craft and her husband Mr. Joe Craft visiting with David Sibbald.

 

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