Stratford Primary School pupils visited Dairy Trust's 51-hectare Stratford farm.
Stratford Primary School pupils visited Dairy Trust's 51-hectare Stratford farm.
Taranaki’s future farmers will don their gumboots and travel to a farm to learn about agriculture and horticulture.
Enviroschools is teaming up with Dairy Trust Taranaki to give tamariki first-hand experiences on the farm.
Farm demonstrations as part of the Enviroschools Ag+ Hort programme will take place at Dairy TrustTaranaki’s four research farms over the next couple of months.
The demonstrations will cover different topics like soil health, reducing emissions and sustainable land use options.
Recently, the Enviroschools team took 50 students from Stratford Primary and Stratford High School on a field trip to Dairy Trust’s 51-hectare Stratford farm to learn all about nitrate leaching in pastoral farming.
Taranaki's future farmers will be given hands-on learning experience.
Students and teachers were fascinated by a current farm trial that uses a technology called “Spikey” - a machine with spikes that hitches on to the back of a four-wheeler or tractor which can detect urine patches in pastures. Spikey works by releasing a product on each patch of urine that inhibits nitrification.
Taranaki Regional Council enviroschools co-ordinator Lauree Jones attended the farm demonstration.
“We’re super excited about our Ag + Hort programme this year, as we have so many cool projects lined up. Our trip to the Stratford farm was a great way to kick it all off. I think everyone, myself included, left the farm that day feeling positive about the future of farming.”
Dairy Trust general manager of operations Jason Rolfe says the trust’s mission to educate and ensure the future viability of farming in Taranaki is important.
“A key part of our business is providing opportunities for tamariki to visit our farms and learn about the trials we are running. Here at Dairy Trust Taranaki, growing the next generation of farmers, scientists and rural professionals is a key strategic goal of the trust. The questions asked and ideas shared by the tamariki were fantastic and provided a different perspective that we often don’t hear enough from.”
In October, Taranaki Enviroschools secured a grant of $44,100 through the LA Alexander Agricultural College Trust Board to give students from all over Taranaki the opportunity to learn first-hand about innovative farming practices.
Three more farm demonstrations and topics are scheduled for Enviroschools students at Dairy Trust’s other research farms:
May 9 at Gibson Farm: Reducing environmental impact.
May 30 at Waimate West: Regenerative farming practices.
To learn more about how your school can become a Taranaki Enviroschool, or if you’re already an Enviroschool and you’d like to sign up for one of the upcoming farm demonstrations, email lauree.jones@trc.govt.nz or visit: www.trc.govt.nz/enviroschools-taranaki.
