FARMERS HELPING STUDENTS

This article first appeared in the Westport News on 18 July 2022.

Farmers across the country are being asked to go back to school as a part of a new educational programme. Farmer Time matches farmers with schools through virtual classroom sessions. Beef and Lamb Inc has been running a trial programme over the last six months with eight farmer-teacher pairings across six schools.

Jess Turnbull who runs a sheep, beef and cropping farm in the Hakataramea Valley near Kurow got involved after a neighbour suggested it to her. Once a fortnight she has a Zoom call with Year 4 and Year 5 students from Edendale Primary School in Auckland.

She said the kids were really engaged and asked lots of questions. “They ask every question you can think of pretty much, a lot of questions about the animals, how we look after them, the wool that they grow, why we do the things that we do, even into sowing paddocks and how many seeds would go into the paddock.

“Lots of questions that I had not even thought of my own just in the process of doing it, it gives you a chance to stop and think about why you do things the way you do.”

Ms Turnbull said the programme was a great opportunity for the kids to learn about farming and working on the land.

“It’s touching to be involved, so many kids don’t get the opportunity to see how farming works, I don’t know why we haven’t been doing this sooner.”

 She said Farmer Time was going a long way to bridge the rural-urban divide.

“We pretty much cover everything from animal health, cropping, selling and cultivation, harvesting to training working dogs and the kids just took it all in and couldn’t get enough of it.”

Beef and Lamb Inc is now looking to extend the programme, and farmers can find out more information on line at farmertime.co.nz