I am pleased to speak today about the upcoming Bite of Brant event that will be taking place on April 9 and 10 in the county of Brant.

Bite of Brant is a deeply important initiative in the Brantford–Brant community that allows grade 5 students to connect with local farmers and gain an understanding and an appreciation for the amount of work that goes into producing the food that we enjoy every single day.

Last year, over 1,000 grade 5 students had the opportunity to press apples into cider, study planting seeds, compare input food costs, grind wheat to make flour, learn about careers in the agri-food industry, climb onto a tractor and get an up-close look at live farm animals.

Agriculture is the number one industry in the county of Brant. Bite of Brant ensures that students are able to engage with the farmers who are not only a vital part of Brant county’s economy and society but are also an essential part of Ontario’s prosperity.

I would like to extend a thank you to the volunteers and farmers who make Bite of Brant so engaging every single year. Last year, we had just under 130 volunteers who worked tirelessly to keep the event running smoothly.

I look forward to attending the 2024 edition of Bite of Brant on April 10.