Kids to Farm roadshow travels west

The CQUniversity Agri-tech Education and Extension team hit the road west to Duaringa, Bluff and Emerald as part of the Kids to Farm project, delivered in collaboration with the AgForce Schools to Industry Partnership Program and funded by the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.

The roadshow aims to increase primary school-aged childrens' understanding of agriculture and its importance to Australia's way of life.

The program engages children in this concept through the delivery of interactive activities and farm visits to meet with real-life farmers and agricultural industry professionals.

Dr Jaime Manning from CQUniversity has been leading this week's program in Central Queensland and hopes to inspire a new generation into agriculture by showing them how important the industry is to Australia and the world.

Students have participated in interactive wool and grain activities and have also looked at food waste produced from making potato fries. They also visited different farms within their local regions including grazing properties, grain, cotton and mixed cropping farms.

Dr Manning explained that it was important for children to start learning about where and how their food and fibre is produced from a young age. to better understand how it makes its way from the farm to them as consumers.

"Through our program we aim to teach children about many of the processes and technology that farmers use to grow the products they purchase from a shop.

"Children are fascinated to learn about the way we are starting to use technology to trace wool from a sheep from a particular farm to the jumper they wear in winter, and how farmers can use sensors to determine if grains harvested are of highest quality to be made into the bread we eat.

"Engaging them through interactive activities and excursions to farms allows them to fully understand the production lifecycle and how to make sustainable decisions about purchasing fibre and consuming food.

"Children can also experience the many job roles apart from the farmer that are involved in the agriculture industry and develop a greater awareness of the career opportunities available to them," said Dr Manning.

This week's roadshow has included visits with Year P-6 students from Duaringa State School and Bluff State School, Year 3 Denison State School (Emerald) and St Patrick's Primary School (Emerald) and Year 4 Emerald North State School.

To get your primary school involved in the Kids to Farm program you can contact ageducation@cqu.edu.au.