About

The Agricultural High Skills Major program at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School will focus on the many facets of agriculture. The goal of the program is to expand students’ learning beyond the primary focus of farming and examine all facets of agriculture. Our program will give students the opportunity to prepare for modern day careers related to agriculture. The program will focus on many aspects of agriculture including sales, innovative technology, sustainable practices, finance, production, animal welfare, agricultural law and mechanics/maintenance.


As part of the co-operative education component, this opportunity will allow students to learn numerous transferable skills in many agricultural sectors. The school curriculum will allow students to gain a solid base of knowledge and skills in the agricultural sector. There will be opportunities for students in all pathways to experience success in the Agricultural Specialist High Skills Major. Along with our community partners, we will provide a rich experiential learning environment for our students. We will strive to respect the history of agriculture, while looking at current and future farming practices. Our program will place emphasis on environmental innovation and sustainability.

Certifications offered:


Three (3) compulsory

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Level C – includes automated external defibrillation (AED)

Standard First Aid

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) – generic (i.e., not site-specific) instruction


Three (3) electives from the list below

animal first aid basic electrical safety chainsaw safety

compass/map/global positioning system (GPS)

customer service equipment operation safety fall protection

fundamentals of the combine – level 1

grain grading hazardous atmospheres and confined spaces

health and safety – basic herbicide and pesticide hydraulics – basic

infection control Working at Heights introduction to pest management

ladder safety training large animal handling leadership skills

livestock medicine livestock production lockout/tagging

nutrient management portfolio development principles of drainage

project management safe lifting sector-specific software 1

sector-specific sustainability practices

sector-specific vehicle operation and safety seed saving

small engine maintenance theory of combine settings and adjustments – level 2

transgenic plant identification vehicle lift safety

weed and pest identification and management

soil classification and testing


(not all above certifications may be available in a given year)



AG Facts City of Kawartha Lakes


  • farms (all farms reporting): 1,265
  • land area used for farming: 309,405 acres
  • average Farm Size: 245 acres
  • natural land for pasture: 56,645 acres
  • gross farm receipts: $149,554,820
  • average age of operator: 55.6 years
  • 4,135 dairy cows on 78 farms
  • 41,831 beef cattle on 681 farms
  • 13,695 sheep on 104 farms
  • 5,783 goats on 60 farms

Source: Statistics Canada 2016 Census of Agriculture

  • two independent family owned dairy processing business, including:
    • Kawartha Dairy Limited (cow milk and cow milk ice cream)
    • Mariposa Dairy Limited (goat milk fresh cheeses and artisanal hard goat and sheep milk cheeses)
  • home to DLF Pickseed, a world-class seed production facility
  • regional centre for farm marketing with a livestock sale barn and large commercial grain elevators
  • regional centre for farm supply with all major farm machinery dealers present, dairy supply company, etc...
  • pursuing diverse and value added agricultural opportunities
  • biggest community pasture in Ontario
STA Agriculture.pdf