By Pattison Media

Rocky Ag Society takes the E.A.T tour on the road

Feb 12, 2026 | 1:30 PM

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE, AB – The Rocky Mountain House and District Agricultural Society is taking its E.A.T., or Educational Agricultural Tour, on the road, spreading the word about the importance of agricultural education for the next generation.

A delegation led by agricultural society vice-president Cheryl Terpsma and director Peggy Hondebrink has recently appeared before Lacombe County and Camrose County councils, as well as agricultural service boards across the province.

Those counties, Terpsma says, are interested in educating local youth about agriculture and may be looking to use the E.A.T. Tour as a template.

The annual tour, held in May, sees Grade 4 students from West Country schools visit four different farms — a beef farm, dairy farm, horse arena and mixed farm.

Students learn about topics such as different cuts of beef, roping a calf, various types of goats, the uses of sheep’s wool and beekeeping, among other things, Terpsma explains. Farm safety is also a key component of the tour.

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Terpsma says the experience is invaluable for youth who may never otherwise be exposed to agriculture or fully understand where their food comes from.

“They get to see the equipment up-close and how farmers are looking after livestock,” says Terpsma. “They also see how farmers are using sustainable methods to make good products.”

Students checking out the scale to see what a calf weighs when it’s born. (Image Credit: Cheryl Terpsma/Rocky Mountain House Agricultural Society)

The E.A.T. Tour dates back more than 25 years to when Jane Brown, then working with Alberta Agriculture, came up with the idea of educating children about farming.

Brown formed a committee, brought in consultants, recruited volunteers and helped create Rocky Mountain House’s first Agricultural Theme Park, which launched May 14, 1997.

The one-day, hands-on event was an immediate success, drawing more than 400 students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 to the Voyageur Arena. Presentations included a microbe display from the Lacombe Research Station, traditional and exotic animals, farm machinery and a stock dog demonstration.

In 1998, Brown received Alberta Agriculture’s Breaking New Ground Award for the innovative program.

Over the years, volunteers from Clearwater County and Rocky Mountain House continued to assist with planning and presentations. Eventually, responsibility for the Agricultural Theme Park was taken on by the agricultural society and Clearwater County, which organized the event annually for hundreds of local students.

However, when the indoor arena format was no longer feasible, the program shifted to its current on-the-ground farm tour model.

Students learn about sheep’s wool. (Image Credit: Cheryl Terpsma/Rocky Mountain House Agricultural Society)

Terpsma says the new format is actually stronger from an educational standpoint.

Before visiting the farms, students receive classroom instruction through the Classroom Agriculture Program, or CAP, which prepares them for the tour and aligns with curriculum outcomes.

Planning for the E.A.T. Tour begins early each year, with organizers securing host farms, volunteers and funding to cover costs such as transportation.

Terpsma encourages parents to talk with their children ahead of the tour to get them thinking about agriculture, and to consider signing up as chaperones.

The 2026 E.A.T. Tour is scheduled for May 14.

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