The course covers Years 9 to 13.
The intake was “slightly more boy-heavy”, but there had been “good interest from our girls as well”, Stone said.
Two-thirds of Stratford’s school leavers choose work placements over university, and they were keen to get practical experience.
The school offered “full farm management”, and the business side would come later, he said.
“But for our Year 9s and 10s, and even Year 11s, it’s more about that understanding of soil, pasture management, animal husbandry, farm management, spraying, and in time we will be looking to do our own hay as well.
“It’s all about that side of farming and understanding what farm management is ...
“As they get older, and the standards are more designed for the business end of things, then the older students will look at that.”
How hands-on does it get?
“Well, if you think about what happens on a normal farm, we run the same process.
“Our ewes are in lamb at the moment, there’s a ram with them, so come late August or early September, the whole lambing process will occur, and our students are a big part of that.
“There’s obviously the shearing process, our ewes will need to be shorn, our lambs will be sold, and we’re lucky to have sale yards down the road.
“So that whole process, whole cycle, can be seen by our students and they will be a part of it.”
It was “not part of the plan, at the moment” for students to cull or slaughter animals, he added.
The programme was run by agriculture teacher Fiona Putt, who was also a drystock farmer.
“We are really lucky to have our own agriculture teacher, as many schools have to use their science teacher.”
Stone said the school had a five-year plan to develop a two-pronged agriculture programme, with a practice-based unit standard course, “with potentially the support of someone like Primary ITO [Industry Training Organisation]”, as well as an NCEA-accredited achievement standard, where senior students learned about the business side of farming.
“We’re looking to progress, as numbers grow, as interest grows, and as we learn more about running a farm as a school.
“It’s not as easy as it sounds, and we may need to look at having a part-time farm manager on board as well.”
Year 10 student Vinny Hunt said he always wanted to be a farmer.
“I don’t really like sitting in a class, and this is more hands-on and I wanted to get out.”
He was looking forward to shearing and lambing later in the year, and said he had already learned a lot.
“I’ve learned how to safely handle sheep and cattle, how to calculate pasture cover and how to fix a fence.”
He also enjoyed mustering sheep.
Stone said that, from June next year, the school would get back 17 hectares that are currently leased out.
The farm could take on more stock and perhaps diversify into dairy.
It could also lead to the introduction of different standard courses, such as learning to use quad bikes and tractors.
The school had received “amazing” support from the community in getting the farm up and running, Stone said.
“We’ve had parents who are involved, local organisations who have helped out, either through sponsorship or labour.
“It’s been unbelievable, how many people have supported us, and we’re incredibly grateful.”
Looking further afield, Vinny said agriculture was his favourite subject, and it was giving him skills for the future.
“I want to become a dairy farmer or maybe even drystock, or become a contractor mowing fields.”
- RNZ
