Volume 156 – November 20, 2023
Ag&Ed Educational resources for schools & students
Read, listen to and watch what is happening in New Zealand agriculture by scanning the QR codes or following the links. Answer the questions to complete the exercises. The big issue
Did you know?
Can everything be measured? FarmBot can sow seeds, water, weed and precision-fertilise plants. There are some parts of farm life that are harder to measure and that we may not want to replace. bit.ly/cant-measure
How can diversity improve resilience? Multifunctional and biodiverse landscapes require more planning, but this is outweighed by multiple benefits.
Have a go: 1. What are the benefits of a system like FarmBot? 2. What are the limitations and risks of automated technology such as FarmBot? 3, What do you think has driven the development of automated technology? 4. Do you think farming is more science or art, or a combination of both? Stretch yourself: 5. How do you think farmers might balance the use of technology so that the immeasurable moments can still be appreciated?
Watch this
bit.ly/diversity-win Have a go: 1. What are some benefits of a multifunctional landscape? 2. How much of New Zealand’s total land use is made up of agricultural land? 3. How can native plant species help farm systems? 4. How does diversification provide additional economic security? Stretch yourself: 5. Can you think of any other benefits of a multifunctional and diverse landscape?
Analyse this
Are prices heading up or down? This graph shows the AgriHQ average South Island prime slaughter price in $/kg. Have a go: 1. What was the latest average South Island prime slaughter price? 2. How does this compare to year-ago levels and the five-year average? 3. What direction would you expect values to go between now and February if the market follows the usual trend shown on this graph? 4. How much more or less in dollars per head would a farmer make this year compared to last year for an average 300 kg CWT (carcase weight) prime steer or heifer?
What skills does it take? In this Meat your Career video we meet Karen Morris from Alliance and hear about her career, the variety of roles and the use of many different skill sets. bit.ly/many-skill-sets Have a go: 1. How long was Karen meant to work at Alliance and how long has she actually been working there? 2. What was her first role and what does she do now? 3. Which Alliance processing plant does Karen work at? 4. Karen says there is a role for every skill set at Alliance. Can you name five different jobs that Karen mentions? Stretch yourself: 5. Explain why culture is so important to a successful workplace and business. See more at meatyourcareer.co.nz