As the sun sets on another incredible Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month (CALM), we’re taking a moment to celebrate the success of our 2025 "Blooming Wellness: A Reading Contest Celebrating Plants And Growth" Literacy Challenge. From February 13 to April 17, classrooms across BC bloomed with curiosity, creativity, and a renewed appreciation for agriculture, wellness, and the power of reading!

A challenge rooted in growth, this year’s theme, "Blooming Wellness," encouraged students to dig into books about plants, gardening, wellness, and farming. With our featured activity focused on designing garden oases and our highlighted book spotlighting life on modern farms, students were inspired to connect with the land in meaningful ways.

Participation Highlights

• Hundreds of teachers and students across BC took part in this 7-week challenge.
• Our Beanstack platform saw enthusiastic readers logging minutes, writing reviews, and engaging with our learning activities.
• Social media lit up with reels, posts, and stories using #CALM25, showcasing everything from drawings to classroom reading corners.

Prize Highlights

• Early bird excitement: The first 25 registrants received Starbucks cards, and the first 10 teacher-librarians scored Indigo gift cards!
• Weekly Winners: For seven weeks, two lucky readers won $100 gift cards to Indigo or a local plant nursery.
• Grand Prize Glory: Two incredible prize packs valued at $250 were awarded to an educator from Dorothy Peacock and Bharuttee D. (École Centennial Park Elementary) who went above and beyond in spreading ag-literacy joy!

What We Learned

Teachers told us they loved how easily the Challenge fit into their regular curriculum and how excited their students were to engage with agricultural topics. From learning about local food to exploring how plants improve mental and physical health, the Challenge planted seeds of knowledge that will continue to grow.

Educator Testimonials  

• “As the first signs of spring appeared, I saw the kids’ eyes light up with excitement. They started imagining what could grow right here in our schoolyard garden. This is amazing for urban kids!” —Teacher from Deer Lake School
• “CALM activities brought our classroom learning to life! The books and resources sparked rich conversations around sustainability, agriculture, and how we are all connected to the land. Through this experience, students were also able to explore the First Peoples Principles of Learning, recognizing the importance of respect for the land and the interdependence between people and nature.”—Bharuttee D., École Centennial Park Elementary
• “The children were so engaged with the storybook! They related to the family from storybook planting their garden and got inspired to plan our own. They especially loved talking about garden helpers like earthworms and what it takes to keep a garden healthy. It sparked so many meaningful discussions in class.”—Anonymous Teacher

Student Testimonials

• I really liked how Devlin saw that her job in the farmhouse was as important as protecting the lambs. —Grayson, Grade 1, Reading “Devlin Saves a Lamb”
•  It was really cool to learn about all the machines that help the eggs in that farm. —Theo, Grade 1, Reading “Reggie’s Technology Adventure”
• We learned how to respect the land and how to care about it. —Anonymous, Grade 1, Planting Activity

Thank you to everyone who participated, read, planted, learned, and shared. Keep reading, keep growing—and stay tuned for what’s blooming next year!

Still Want to Join the Fun?

We still have a few spots open for our Ag Adventures tours this spring in both Kelowna (May 7 and 14) and Abbotsford (May 8, June 3, and June 4). These immersive, outdoor learning experiences are the perfect follow-up to a literacy challenge that celebrated the beauty of BC’s food and farming story!