 Forty-three 4-H members from around the province converged on Trinity Western University in Langley to take part in Food For Thought 2010. The top BC agricultural commodities were explored by delegates from July 12th to 16th, 2010 through local agricultural tours and learning sessions.
The lack of knowledge about what we eat and where our food comes from is a growing concern within the population. In order to shed light on food production in BC, 4-H members were given an inside look at the processes, struggles and triumphs of agricultural producers in our province. Tuesday morning saw the delegates boarding the bus for the first day's local tours meant to highlight a few of the top commodities. From a honey bee centre, beef feedlot and cut-flower farm, delegates saw the delicate balance of industries working together and how they have adapted in order to remain profitable in today's market. Back on campus, delegates brainstormed ideas about how they could help educate their communities about food awareness.  The following day started with a presentation about the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). Delegates spent the rest of the morning researching and then debating a case involving ALR land, and developed an appreciation for the value of the ALR to BC agriculture. That evening, members enjoyed a delicious local foods dinner generously sponsored by the BC Chicken Marketing Board which included presentations about mushrooms, salmon and, of course, chicken! Afterwards the members were able to get an up close look of chicken production by viewing the portable BC Chicken Marketing Board's Poultry in Motion trailer. The last day was another full day of agricultural tours that included a tomato greenhouse, dairy farm and berry/agri-tourism operation. Throughout the week, delegates saw a wide range of operations from family farms to established companies, and also got to taste some of the products along the way.
“We had a fabulous week touring different farms and learning about BC agriculture. We are now aware of the importance of buying food from local farmers and conserving land for agriculture.”
-Camille R., Central Interior delegate
 The week wasn’t all work however! Delegates enjoyed an afternoon at Cultus Lake Water Park and tested their farming skills during the Tuesday night Agriculture Olympics!
The B.C. 4-H community would like to thank the following partners and sponsors for making this program possible; B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, B.C. 4-H Foundation, B.C. 4-H Provincial Council, BC Youth in Agriculture Foundation, BC Chicken Marketing Board, Growing Forward Business Development Program, and the Westgen Endowment Fund. Additionally the Food For Thought 2010 program was funded in part by: the Investment Agriculture Foundation of B.C. through programs it delivers on behalf of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands.
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