7-10 Paddock To Plate

Secondary School (Yr 7-10) Programs

Our Secondary School programs have been developed for specific units of study within Geography and Technologies. Each can however be tailored to a school’s needs. The programs are great fun and involve the exploration of working farms and food processing/storage facilities (excursions) or an exciting and interactive PPP (incursions). Students gain an understanding and awareness of where their food comes from. Students also learn about the challenges facing Australian farmers and the sustainable consumer behaviours their community must adopt to ensure food security within their region. These programs are delivered by passionate facilitators with specialist knowledge on the local geography. The experiences can be delivered to complement the following units or modules:

Geography

Year 7 Place and Liveability
Year 8 Changing Nations (QLD/VIC) or Changing Places (NSW)
Year 9 Geographies of Interconnections (QLD/VIC) or Interconnections (NSW)
Year 9 Biomes and Food Security (QLD/VIC) or Sustainable Biomes (NSW)
Year 10 Geographies of Human Wellbeing (QLD/VIC) or Human Wellbeing (NSW)

Agricultural Technology (NSW)

Year 7/8 Introduction to Agriculture
Year 9/10 Agricultural Systems and Management

Trip Overview

Supporting local farmers is imperative to maintain food security in Australia. They are the ones who supply fresh produce to our supermarket shelves and ultimately to our dinner plates. This does not make them exempt from social change. Buyers are opting for cheaper overseas products; the commercialisation of milk and other products is driving profits down; and biosecurity threats such as white spot disease are percolating through production chains. There has never been a better and more pressing time to teach students about where their food comes from. On this adventure, you will learn about challenges facing local farmers and how these affects regional food security. You will also learn how to make sustainable choices when buying food. If you are seeking a different approach to your “Paddock to Plate” study, we can design a program that is suitable for you.

Highlights

Exploring a range of different farms and food processing/storage facilities
Speaking one-on-one with farmers from a diverse range of backgrounds
Assisting farmers with daily tasks
Tasting local produce!
Milking a cow (optional)
Feeding goats (optional)
Sketching

More Information

Inclusions

Excursions

Visit 1-4 farms (e.g. cattle, lettuce, micro-herb, chicken, dairy, carrot, pineapple, etc.)
Guided exploration of farms with discussion of embedded infrastructure
Compare the diversity of rainforest or eucalypt forest biomes with the monoculture extant at farm sites
Field sketch of study site (view of a farming region)
Discussion of hydroponics, biological pest control and other innovations in farming
Field work (interview farmers)

Incursions

An age-appropriate interactive PowerPoint presentation
Virtual exploration of the multiple sites forming a food production chain (i.e. producer -> processor -> storage -> supermarket)
Talk from a local farmer
Samples of local produce to try!

Educational Outcomes

Awareness and knowledge of the challenges facing farmers in Australia
A basic understanding of how the longevity of farming activity affects food security in Australia.
Awareness of how humans have reshaped a natural environment to create a built environment
Assessment of the difference in biodiversity between an undisturbed biome and a biome that has been modified to support crop growth or grazing.
Knowledge of environmental issues that have arisen as a result of farming practices including pollution, introduction of invasive species, death of pollinator species and loss of biodiversity
Learning of sustainable farming practices that can be used to minimise these issues
A connection to and sense of stewardship towards Australia’s natural environment
Motivation to support local farmers by buying local produce at green grocers and supermarkets

Itinerary

Below is an example itinerary for a 1-day “Paddock to Plate” excursion. All excursions packages include the necessary work booklets and equipment.

08:00	Tour group pick- Second Nature have a fleet of vehicles available to cater for any number of passengers (within reason). We can provide transport to and from schools and airports
08:30	Arrive at a Fruit Farm for Activity session 1 During this activity, students will tour the farm whilst speaking with the farmer to learn about how the relevant fruit (e.g. pineapple, avocado, strawberries, etc.) is grown, harvested, processed and stored. They will hear about the costs and challenges of distributing the fruit to consumers.
09:30	Morning tea at the Fruit Farm. Students will have the chance to taste some of the locally grown fruit!
09:45	Depart Fruit Farm for a Cattle Farm.
10:00	Arrive at the Cattle Farm Activity Session 2 Students will be taken on a guided walk of the farm, during which the daily tasks of cattle farmers will be pointed out to them. Students may be asked to help with a simple task as part of this activity (e.g. filling food stalls, etc.). They will once again interview the farmer about the process and challenges of producing their product/s.
11:00	Depart Cattle Farm for a Leafy Greens Farm
11:15	Arrive at the Leafy Greens Farm for lunch There will be great areas to take a break and enjoy panoramic views of the farming region.
12:15	Activity Session 3 The students will set off on another farm tour, this time looking at the unique infrastructure the farmer has developed for processes such as potting and irrigation. Students will learn about integrated pest management solutions and organic methods of food production at this site.
13:15	Depart Leafy Greens Farm for a Dairy Farm
13:30	Arrive at Dairy Farm for Activity Session 4 After touring the farm and interviewing the farmer for comparison with other sites, students will have the unique opportunity to milk a cow! They may also get to feed the nearby goats while they wait for their turn.
14:30	Depart Dairy Farm, back to school or airport
15:00	Arrive back at institution or airport when required

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Second Nature Education offers an amazing variety of educational and experiential programs to a variety of farms, food processing and storage facilities in: Queensland and New South Wales; throughout Australia; and overseas.