The Turnham family’s Guyra property, Waratah, has played host to more than 100 high school agriculture students from across the region yesterday, in the first stage of the 2017 Northern Tablelands Schools Property Planning Competition.
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The competition is run annually by Northern Tablelands Local Land Services to give young property planners a taste of real life farming challenges while they learn about best farm management practice.
On Wednesday 22 March, the students spent a day at Waratah investigating livestock production, biosecurity, water quality, biodiversity, soils and pastures, with a Local Land Services team of technical experts on hand to provide advice and practical assistance.
The students will now use the information gathered during the property planning field day to prepare a management plan that will maximise profitability and ecological sustainability on Waratah.
“The whole field day is great because it is more hands on than being in the classroom and you get to meet new people. The vertebrate pest management session was really interesting, especially the different ways of baiting,” said Lachlan Williamson from Duval High School.
High School teachers accompanying the students were equally positive about the event.
“The students are able to apply the theory we have talked about in the classroom. The kids are networking with other students and people who work in agriculture”, said Deb Snaith, Head Teacher – Agriculture at Macintyre High School in Inverell.
“It is also beneficial for the students to travel further within the region because it challenges them by showing them more than what we see in our ag plot – different pasture species, soil types and vegetation”, said Deb.
Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Farm Planning Officer, Kim Deans, was one of the key organisers of the student field day.
“Property planning encourages the students to consider the whole farm system and how farm managers work with their natural resource base to improve long term sustainability and production,” said Kim.
Northern Tablelands Local Land Services acknowledges the generous contribution of the Turnham family in allowing the Schools Property Planning Field Day to take place on their property.
“We are very grateful to the Turnhams for throwing open the gates to their farm and so graciously sharing information about their operation with the next generation in agriculture,” said Kim.
“I’d also like to thank our main funding partner, the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme, and competition sponsors Regional Development Australia - Northern Inland, University of New England, and the NSW Department of Primary Industries Schools Program. Their support has made a significant contribution to the success of this important event that will make a lasting impression on the young farmers of the future in our region.”
The winners of the 2017 Northern Tablelands Schools Property Planning Competition will be announced in August during the AgQuip field days at Gunnedah.