Traditionally in Australia, the family farm has been passed on to the next generation. But…
Teachers bring farm to school
Crookwell High School teachers brought the farm to school recently, hosting a successful Agriculture Day aimed at inspiring students.
The event, a collaboration with local conservation initiatives and agriculture organisations, focused on
building community resilience in the face of challenges like drought.
Agriculture Teacher Brett Woods and Primary Industries Teacher Chris Wilson from Crookwell High School
along with Clare McCabe of K2W Link Inc, Eaton Gorge Theatre Company (EGTC), Upper Lachlan Landcare (ULL), NSW Farmers Poultry Meat Manager David Banham, and Kristen Frost, Industry Relations Officer at Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) all came together to help young people learn about agriculture and environmental science.
Mr Wilson emphasised the importance of providing students with information about drought resilience and encouraging them to pursue diverse opportunities within the agricultural sector.
“This event brought together students and industry experts to discuss topics to help students to consider a career in agriculture, understanding of land management and the challenges presented by our changing climate,” Mr Wilson said.
Clare McCabe of K2W Link, along with directors Juliet Scrine and Ian McColm from EGTC,
held an improvisation workshop to engage students in learning about resilient communities.
The Theatre Company’s role was to provide a creative platform for students to express their
understanding of resilience in the face of challenges like drought.
The workshop titled “Thrive Through Drought”, aimed to prepare them for the challenges of
drought and help them understand the economic pressure faced by the community and their
direct families or friends’ families to help them build resilience and be prepared for difficult
circumstances and conversations that will inevitably occur.
Thrive through drought
With Australia’s variable climate bringing drought and flood to rural communities, it was important to prepare the students for future challenges.
The school’s Agriculture Day marked the beginning of the K2W Thrive Through Drought initiative, a
partnership supported by the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal and funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. Future events were planned to help the local community be better prepared for future droughts.
AWI and NSW Farmers aimed to help young people successfully transition from school into
further education and employment in agriculture-related industries. They presented students
with information about collaboration between industry and NSW Farmers and promoted
agribusiness career opportunities.
The Paddock to Plate lunch was sponsored by ULL, where the students used produce from
their school farm for the plate.
“It was a chance for the students to use what they produce at the farm. They were extremely
proud to produce a delicious lunch from the produce they have grown themselves,” Mr
Woods said.
A screening of Rachel’s Farm also supported by ULL provided information about sustainable
farming practices.
