YOUR BUSINESS
Teaching kids about
W
ith the recent COVID-19 pandemic, food security has been increasingly prevalent in our daily discussions. Part of food security is having younger generations coming through to continue the great work done by those who have come before them. So, how do we get the next generation interested in farming when there are less families involved in farming? As an extension of the “Food You Can Trust” initiative, WAFarmers is embarking on a journey to bring the farm to primary school students. Federally funded over the next two years, WAFarmers will be targeting year six students with the program running for three weeks. The program has three components for delivery. The first component is 250 minutes (or five lessons) of learning about different agricultural industries including: • Vegetables • Fruit • Broadacre • Dairy • Livestock • Fibre (Wool and Cotton) • Soil and Climate • Seafood.
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WA Grower SPRING 2020
A PRESENTATION COLLEG
Teaching the next generation about food production. This in-class learning will address year six curriculum, including the concept of scarcity revolving around finite environmental resources to meet the needs of the local and global populations. Lessons will highlight the alternative use of resources resulting in the need to consider trade-offs (e.g. using the land to grow crops or to graze cattle). Students will also learn about the impact consumer purchasing decisions can have on a family, the broader community (e.g. purchasing from the local growers’ market or a supermarket chain) and the environment (e.g. pollution, waste).
In week three, there will be a “Mini Agricultural Day Incursion” where students will interact with live production farm animals and real-life farmers in their own school. This will give students the look, touch and feel of agriculture and will explain to them both the benefits and what is required to have a career in agriculture. Students will also get the opportunity to ask pertinent questions that matter to them about real-life farmers, aimed at satisfying their curiosity about agriculture. This experience is limited to the first 75 schools that take up the program in any given year.
PHOTO © CATHY BROAD, ION
BY AARON NATOLI PROJECT MANAGER, PERTH NRM
E
agriculture
To tie the learning and understanding of the first two activities, each student will get a take home an Augmented Reality storybook about agriculture. The story will be about two city kids (boy and a girl) who go on an agricultural adventure including picking vegetables, fishing on a boat and driving a tractor. In this storybook, half the story takes place on the page and the other half of the story takes place in augmented reality, to make a truly unique and immersive experience. WAFarmers is currently looking for volunteer vegetable and fruit growers who would like to take part in the school day incursions in 2021 and 2022. A Working with Children Check will be required and we encourage growers (including those recently retired) who have time available to join us in shaping the next generation of agriculture. MORE INFORMATION Contact Aaron Natoli from WAFarmers on 0488 779 038 or email aaronnatoli@ wafarmers.org.au
