Bringing local farmers into the classroom
This article first appeared online at Nelson Weekly Rural News on 19 October 2022.
Photos courtesy of Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
An educational programme is looking to pair city schools with farmers who can teach students about the industry.
An educational programme aiming to connect farmers with city schools is looking for more people in the Nelson Tasman region to sign up.
Farmer Time links farmers with primary and intermediate school children through virtual classroom sessions.
Students regularly chat live with their matched farmer, gaining an understanding of farming across the seasons and a taste of rural life. National coordinator Marie Burke says the programme has “taken off ” after launching earlier in the year, and they would love to see more schools, farmers and growers from the Nelson Tasman region taking part. “The programme originated in the UK, so we ran a pilot in term one of this year just to see if it was applicable in the New Zealand situation.” It turns out it was.
“We worked out pretty quickly that it would be something that would benefit New Zealand as a whole,” she says.
“The response from the farming community nationwide has been amazing, everyone sees the benefits and we now have a list of farmers waiting to be matched up.”
She says they already have a farmer in Collingwood on the waiting list to be matched up with a school and one school in Stoke has requested to be part of the programme.
Whether it’s a sheep and beef farmer, or a vegetable or fruit grower, Marie says she wants to hear from all interested food producers in the region.
“It is not just designed for sheep and beef farmers - the aim is for it to be inclusive of any food or fibre producer in New Zealand.”
Marie says the programme brings plenty of benefits for all involved.
“For kids, it is about learning about where food comes from. It is like they are having a regular field trip every fortnight without having to plan the transport. That is the beauty of it.
“They develop a really neat relationship with the food producer they are matched with, it is not just a one-off experience, they get to anticipate what is coming next, it’s really neat. “Also, they are getting to see a different range of careers that are available in the primary industries, and there are lots of math and science and curriculum crossovers.” It is a positive experience for the farmers too, she says. “The children are just so keen to learn, and it gives them a real boost about the job they are doing day in and day out. It is quite uplifting, and it’s got the feel-good factor. The kids are loving it, the farmers are loving it.”
Farmers can use any video chat type app for the programme. “As long as the farmer can use a cellphone, that’s all that’s needed. It’s pretty simple. If they don’t have good Wi-Fi they can take videos and do it from their office.”
To find out more go to www.farmertime.co.nz
Kate Russell